A Love So Strong That It Took A While To Bloom
by sctwilightvampwolfgal
Summary: Love just has a way of sneaking up on you sometimes. *Oneshot collection written for LadyNoir July based off of Love Square-Squad's calendar and ML Ship Fleet's calendar on Tumblr.*
1. Prologue

There was a time when my life wasn't in constant disarray, and Paris wasn't under attack. There was a time when a simple kiss to my hand from a boy that I kind of didn't like that way didn't send my heart racing and my head spinning.

And there definitely was a time that I wouldn't be staked out on patrol, just hoping that a black cat crosses my path. I guess there's a saying or a phrase for anything; there's a time when hearts refuse to listen to reason and when cat puns actually charm you. There's a day when you break under the force of a love so strong and so scary that you're no longer sure which way is up.

I never thought that I was one to succumb to his love for me that I used to not hold much merit in, but with the passing of time and some sweet, honest words, I melted, so that I'm here now.

I'm supposed to be professional and yet professionalism doesn't cling to me in the way that it should anymore. He's gallantly rode off into my heart, and I've fallen broken under his spell, transfixed and in love, but this story could never just be my own. He's Cat Noir, and I'm Ladybug; somewhere along the way, the lines blurred, and love seeped in.

My charming kitty has way too much love in his heart for me, but then again, I've fallen head over heels in love with him anyway. I guess that it was somewhat inevitable that somewhere along the way, we'd end up here, that somehow his regular presence lit my heart on fire in the love that he's almost always yearned for me.

I love my kitty, and with every day, that love grows. I'm more surprised than not that he's slipped into my life so completely, that his love for me stole my heart away, and the last vestiges of my breath. I'll miss that kitty if he ever were to leave, and Ladybug would cease to be a role model to Paris if she ever lost her partner, Cat Noir.

He's the love of my life, the one that keeps me growing and fighting, the one that would encourage me until I find myself encouraging him with every thought and every action. We belong together like a yin and a yang, and I couldn't be happier knowing that.

Cat Noir is the love of my life, and despite however we began, we've now discovered a love so fine that I'll never move past it.


	2. 1st Impressions

She felt like her partner's first impression of her just had to be awful; she'd managed to knock him down off a wire and entangle the two of them up with each other, was scared of all that being a superheroine entailed, and she'd fumbled with her superhero duties. Her yoyo wasn't anything like it was to her now back then. Now, it felt almost like an extension of her arm.

"What'd you think of me back then, Cat Noir, back when we first began?" Ladybug leaned against her partner's side, kind of nervous now that she'd asked the question.

"The first day?" Cat Noir smiled, "I saw a girl who wasn't afraid to show that she wasn't perfect, a girl despite everything still willing to help a cat out, and a girl that I thought I could be good friends with." His gloved hand reached for hers and swung it with his so casually.

"Really? But, I completely knocked you down when we first met." She admitted with a sad smile.

"You may have knocked me down though I really was just goofing off then, but I was hit by such a sight." He smiled at her, "The most beautiful woman that I ever met had literally collided with me."

"You said that you didn't start falling for me until the next time when we were at the Eiffel Tower." Ladybug insisted, remembering that confession of his.

"I didn't fall for you until then, but you've always been beautiful, M'lady." His smile went soft along with his voice: sincere honesty.

"You don't know me outside of this mask or suit, and you haven't seen me when I was a kid, Cat Noir." Ladybug insisted as she looked over the still starry night sky of Paris.

"I don't need to see you outside of the suit or as a kid to know that. Trust me, I know." Cat Noir wrapped an arm around her waist, still smiling, "Besides, the suit doesn't make you any prettier than you were before though you do look quite good in spots."

Ladybug rolled her eyes, "I had no idea back then what you'd mean to me, that I'd fall for you, or that you'd become my best friend. I never expected this when we met." She motioned over the two of them at 'this.' "I guess I just realized that I now had my crime fighting partner though we were entangled, and to my luck, he was a cat."

"Either way, you had to have been quite lucky to discover all of this." Cat Noir squeezed her hand and smiled up at her.

"I was." Ladybug admitted as her voice went soft with her honesty and awe.


	3. Patrol

Patrols were sometimes quiet affairs, just pushing to get past it all, minds far, far away, and yet some days, they were more fun than serious even when they were supposed to be serious. Sometimes being attentive got replaced by gentle playfulness, flirting, or puns or even a mix of all three.

Ladybug would never have admitted it if anyone were to ask her, but she loved patrols when they stretched out into that playful kind. They were her weakness. Something about just being close to Cat Noir, feeling as if he's the most real person that she's ever met, letting their friendship bloom, sometimes even blurring the lines between friendship and just a little more, tempted her.

"So what are you thinking of?" Her kitty just looked too cute as his green eyes lit up in playfulness, as his smile went lopsided. Just the sight of that lopsided smile did funny things to her heart that she'd never admit to.

"Just this." She'd tell him that much at least as she turned her blue eyed gaze back over Paris; may be she could just pretend that lately every little thing hit her harder than before. Just, every moment with him reminded her of how much he'd came to mean to her and how rapidly that was growing by the day.

"This?" He smiled, stepping closer, "Being heroes of Paris? Being my beloved partner? Or something else?"

"I guess being your partner." She shook her head to clear and pushed him back by the nose, "Right now, we have a patrol to take care of, Kitty. Don't get too distracted."

"It's hard when I see the most beautiful woman in the world." Cat Noir smiled as he hopped away though Ladybug just shook her head. Sometimes her kitty really was too sweet though she refused to believe that someone with as good looks as he did had not seen at least one woman more attractive than her.

"Cat, do you see anything out of the ordinary? It's clear here." She smiled as she watched her partner look over Paris, temporarily replacing any flirting or goofyness with serious attention.

"Nope, everything's pawsitively fine." He smiled at her, and she couldn't help her bemused smile. Her kitty was still her kitty definitely.


	4. Gift

Perhaps it shouldn't have mattered near as much as it did, but she couldn't help how her hands glazed over the gift that she held for her partner. Partner was such a meaningful word that only seemed to grow in meaning like when a spark is released and starts a fire or when a flower slowly starts to bloom.

She ran her fingers for the millionth time over the gift, memorizing and rememorizing just the feel of it, and tried to ignore how her heart jumped and jumped and jumped over itself. It's just that over the years that they've been partners, something has stretched and bloomed between them, and now all that she can do is cherish every kiss. Just, now she was just setting out into the world with her designs, balancing going to university and balancing working on fashion as much as she could, on learning what she could. It didn't really help with taking the time to appreciate her sort of boyfriend that that word did not do justice for when she had an internship, design competitions, and university classes to somehow all manage together.

Marinette sighed, half eager to transform and surprise her partner, and half scared to death that he wouldn't like it. She'd gotten another temporary job for Jagged Stone, and he'd let her keep a couple CDs to do whatever with if she wanted, and so one was for personal memory, and the other she'd taken the time to sign and prepare to give to the person that was rapidly coming to mean more to her than anyone else ever had.

Just, that never felt like enough so she'd spent the past several days working on an original design for him and creating Cat Noir inspired gloves for the chilly winter days and just hoped that there wasn't an identity reveal coming up with that much. It's just, her mind blanked whenever she tried to think of anything different to make for him, and all that she could see was some sweet, endearing boy or well man now, wearing those gloves to stay warm during the winter with that dorky, little smile that she loved.

She was pretty sure that she was over the moon with how much she loved him, and it didn't really help anymore that she was also half counting the days until they could reveal their identities, getting angry that Hawkmoth still had time to torment Paris, and wondering if they should risk an identity reveal anyway, for the quiet moments just soaking in the other's presence like fresh sponges.

Cat Noir was Ladybug's whole world whether he knew it or not, and she desperately, desperately wanted to prove it to him, day by day, hour by hour, minute by minute, and sometimes her mind wandered too far down the path of wedding bells that never rang near as loud or prettily when all that she could see herself getting married to him in were spots. One day, she promised herself that she'd tell him her identity and avoid just marrying him in a spandex like suit.

He deserved better than that type of wedding anyway. She shook her head to pull her mind back away from the clouds as she finally took a deep breath, said two very important words with a very important name, and left her bedroom as the well beloved superheroine, Ladybug. Not to save the day this time, but to see her precious partner that meant the world and beyond for her.

* * *

"Kitty?" She called out as she took a seat on their favorite rooftop in all of Paris. It was the best place for cuddles and private kisses without anyone seeing as it was just high enough, just hidden enough that they could steal a few moments together past busy lives, and past whatever Akuma Hawkmoth sent out to disrupt their week.

It thankfully didn't take him all that long to show up, "Milady, to what do I owe the purrleasure?"

She shook her head, but her smile wasn't one to fade even at the pun. Oh, she loved him so much.

"I wanted to surprise you with something." She smiled as she leaned back up to kiss his cheek, just to feel him close, and to remind herself just how much he really cared for her too.

"A kiss from my favorite Ladybug?" He teased as he asked her about her surprise though the slight blush that still sometimes snuck up on his face whenever she surprised him was there.

"I'm your only Ladybug, but no, I brought gifts." She held up the bag that she'd remembered to place them in before she headed out, thankfully not forgetting to do so.

"Gifts for your kitty? Are you sure?" He tentatively took the bag from her as if it was the only time that he'd received a gift lately though she knew that that was probably just because it was for her. "What's the occasion? I should have got you something."

"I just wanted to surprise you is all." Ladybug smiled, just seeing his curiosity and joy lit up her heart; she really should do this more often.

"Okay," He opened up the wrapped CD, and his eyes lit up at seeing her civilian identity and Jagged's signatures across it as he flipped it around to look for the songs, "How did you get this? The CD doesn't come out for another three days."

"I have my resources." She smiled.

"And it's signed? By the designer and Jagged Stone? Really, you're incredible, Ladybug." Cat Noir practically bounced in his boots and though really, he did have one more gift to take out and look at from her, she couldn't help but stand up, on her tippy toes, and kiss his lips. Just, his excitement and cheer always managed to do something for her heart.

"It's out of love." She murmured against his lips, still slightly nervous to admit how much she really did care for him even after all this time, "Besides, I just really wanted you to be happy. There's one more gift."

"You do know that you're the best gift, right?" Murmured Cat Noir against her lips as he pulled Ladybug closer.

When they finally pulled back enough for Cat Noir to pull out his last gift, she couldn't help her bright smile as she saw his excitement, "Are you sure, Milady? If we run into each other without the masks, you might know who I am."

"I don't mind too much, besides I just wanted you to have something that I made for you." She spoke softly; her kitty meant the world to her, and it was about time that she lavish him in her gifts and affection. One day though, she'd be able to give him so much more than just a few moments together or a gift or two, one day her heart would come packaged in a big bow and worn through a white dress and signed with a kiss. Ladybug didn't mind the wait until that day for now though; she'd be patient, help defeat Hawkmoth, and one day, they'd be able to spend their forevers together.


	5. Akuma

Akuma battles were second nature now. Watching the news, hearing something strange, and yet there was a certain tingle beneath the surface, a sort of excitement, a desire to fight almost, to rise above the Akuma holding them back.

Just, it was something unbelievable to feel so caught up under this and to push themselves so hard from where they'd begun and yet that feeling only amplified after all of this time due to a certain level of trust, almost like they were emotionally connected and physically moved as one.

Ladybug and Cat Noir were a team from start to finish, day in to day out, they moved as one, fought as one, responded as one. If Ladybug needed Cat Noir to use Cataclysm or distract an Akuma or rush in, he would at the blink of an eye with just a look or his name or whatever small sign that they shared among each other. It used to need more than that; they used to not run together like a well oiled machine.

There was something magnetic and magical about how close they'd gotten, about how easily they truly listened to each other, and every Akuma while some are more challenging than others, gave them a chance to grow closer, to listen better, fight harder or smarter or quicker, and so with each Akuma, came the quiet thrill of moving perfectly in sync with the one that you'd begun to fall in love with.

Each Akuma reminded them of how precious life was, how easily lost it could be, but it also reminded them of a love that needed no words, that burned between them like a lit match, and so they moved as one, listened to each other, became almost one without needing to say the words on the tips of their tongues.

A look could convey so much, held the world between them, and every Akuma went down, sometimes with a struggle, sometimes pushing our favorite heroes harder than they've been pushed ever before, and yet they grew in love.

"Cat Noir!" She called, and with that, he moved to Cataclysm the Akumatized purse of their latest Akuma, moved on command without even a thought to question or puzzle over what she needed him to do. He followed her command so very easily whenever it left her lips.

Once the Akuma fluttered away, like clockwork she captured it, repeating words that could have haunted her sleep with how much she said them and yet probably didn't. "Pound it." Her voice brought with it a sense of reality that the ladybugs that followed her will had stolen from him. Without fail, she managed to make him breathless, day in, day out, and somehow he only fell for her more than ever before.

"Pound it." He returned, jovially, and his fist met hers. Another day, another Akuma defeated, and another chance to have worked with his 'perfect' partner as if they were one. Being a superhero may have had its drawbacks, but he couldn't think of a single one as his green eyes met her bright blue ones.


	6. Lucky Charm Or Cataclysm

Cataclysm tingled down his arm, the power to destroy evident as his whole body crouched into it, and he knew that feeling well, knew how to emphasize it, knew how to respond. This though was somehow different.

The tingle went up his arm at her touch, tracing through his veins without needing to actually touch them, fingertips poised gently over his hand, and smile soft and welcoming as she looked up at him. The tingles didn't trickle and had no sign of leaving.

There was always a sense of urgency to Cataclysm, a time limit type feeling without needing one, and sometimes it was just instinct at her command. Just, now, there was no instinct, just a tingle that went the wrong way from a gentle touch. He wanted to pull her closer, but it was almost like his arm couldn't move in fear of jostling her or ruining the moment.

Her lips though looked so close, close enough to lean down and press against, close enough to kiss until all that he could see were little ladybugs instead of stars. He wanted that. Oh, man, he wanted that, but his arm still wouldn't move past the pleasant, not Cataclysm like tingles that she sent up it with just a touch.

They were a yin and yang, and all that he wanted was to forever be by her side, to pull her close for a kiss that feels a little more like her magic and not his own. It would be a whole different thing though to actually reach out and pull her close when he also didn't want to move his tingling arm.

* * *

Lucky Charm left her breathless, not visibly so, but there was a certain air to it, a certain flow to her heart that rode on the high of it, the joy of looking up and feeling, 'I created that,' without the physical labor that it would normally take. It left her breathless in awe even now, even though it wasn't her first time using it or even her fifth time.

Cat Noir's hand around her waist didn't make her feel like that. There was no breathless awe, and though the action was perfectly innocent, she rode on a different kind of high.

Her waist tingled like she'd always imagined Cataclysm felt like, and there was a danger to the air. He could destroy her with just a kiss, not in an overly violent kind of way, just an emotional one. She'd be left half the Ladybug that she is at least if only he could go that little distance and kiss her.

Just, she couldn't quite will herself to move, not when it felt like she should wait for his call, his command, and not when the thrill of danger rushing through her and sparks left her more than a little dazed under it all.

'Just come a little closer and absolutely Cataclysm my heart, sell me on this with only a few seconds of time.' She just wasn't sure when Ladybug gave Cat Noir the control in this moment, and for once, she wasn't sure whether he knew or not.

Everything was still so new, like becoming superheroes all over again, except this time it was with their hearts, with their newfound, just a little more relationship. He may be her boyfriend now, but the dangerous thrill of it definitely hadn't worn off for her yet.


	7. Playful

Sometimes her kitty reminded her of an actual cat, and it really didn't help his case at all when she could clearly see his tail wagging. Even though, it rightly shouldn't have been able to. She'd removed that belt enough times to wonder exactly how he managed to make himself seem as catlike as he actually was.

Either way, his green eyes sparkled bright like a cat's and his tail wagged as if he were about to pounce on his unsuspecting prey or in this case, Ladybug. Her eyes found him, making sure that he wouldn't come too close, because she was sure that if he didn't say something flirtatious or a pun or something of the sort in just a matter of seconds then he had something.

"So, Bugaboo?" He grinned, and she could read the mischieviousness a mile away which might have admittingly been her fault for trying out a new recipe for the 'treats' that she'd brought him from her bakery.

"Yes?" She stood carefully, holding her balance somehow far away from him and yet she'd never expected him to somehow pounce, and she stared up at him, trying to ignore the pillow that he'd likely hidden away for just this purpose.

Patrols could be long and cold despite how useful they usually were, so she'd ended up with a playful kitten of a partner on days like today though it did make her wonder if her baked goodies that she'd snuck a tiny, tiny amount of catnip in really affected him at all.

She'd asked him before about catnip, and he'd admitted that he'd never tried seeing just how catlike he actually was, and he'd never said, 'no,' to her asking if she could see what it was like on a long, boring patrol.

"Kitty, where'd you get the pillow?" She asked, biting back a laugh. It just felt like the world around them could fade to be the two of them lately, but she may just be a little biased, considering the fact that not too long ago, they'd actually started dating.

"I brought it." His green eyes gleamed, "It's been really peaceful and well, I thought that it would be fun to hang out with my girlfriend and have fun and not just keep watch."

"That makes sense. But you've forgotten one thing, Kitty, I don't have a pillow to fight you back with." She pushed his pillow away, "Unless you want me to steal yours away..?" The pillow was small enough to be carried over here without being seen and had absolutely no feathers in it or so she guessed.

"Well..." Cat Noir stood back up and even she could see the puzzlement in her boyfriend's eyes.

"How about I try Lucky Charm?" She asked, "You haven't had a pillow fight with anyone before, have you?"

"Not really. I haven't had one with a superhero on the Parisian rooftops either." Cat Noir admitted, and his sad kitten eyes broke her heart. She'd really have to have a talk or two with his father since Cat Noir had admitted to not really being allowed to have friends over most of the time.

"Me either or at least not on the rooftops." Ladybug wouldn't admit that a few talks over boys with Alya had ended up in pillow fights; sometimes she just felt like she needed a quick end to the conversation at hand when she just wasn't feeling it at all to talk over her ex-crush now or when Alya asked about her boyfriend too much.

There was only so much that she could say to that without revealing who he was and compromising her identity to her best friend who had by this point realized that LadyNoir was canon.

"Lucky Charm." She called out, and when a large, black spotted, red pillow fell into her arms it was on. It didn't really matter if somehow Alya got a picture of the two of them having a pillow fight on the rooftop, because sometimes she needed playful moments with her boyfriend to unwind, to destress, and she was a teenager too. She wanted a little bit of laughter and running out and joking.

She vowed silently to herself that before the night was over, Cat Noir would not successfully get away from her on the rootops, running for her Lucky Charm Pillow, and so far it had worked.

This week, Ladybug felt like she desperately needed this playfulness, and she somehow wondered if her boyfriend as sweet as he always was to her picked up on that.


	8. Puns Or Clumsiness

With a tumble, she'd fallen into his arms at one point on the day that they'd met, and she could have sworn that 'Madly Clumsy' fit her better sometimes than Ladybug. She couldn't have counted how many times that she'd dropped her faithful yoyo on her partner.

Clumsiness though, she preferred, to not have to deal with as a superhero. Ladybug had felt that she'd came a long way since that first, fumbling meeting with her partner.

She knew Paris from the rooftops probably better than she'd ever learned to know Paris by foot. Ladybug was pretty sure though that a moment like this was unavoidable at times as she slipped from the water on the edge of a rooftop.

"M'lady, I can't believe that you've fallen for me all over again." Cat Noir's arms had wrapped around her waist when she'd slipped: one of the many benefits from joint patrols.

"I didn't need to slip, Kitty, to fall for you again." Ladybug admitted, ignoring the fact that even now with her new tendency to actually flirt consistently back with her boyfriend, it still made her blush when raw honesty spilled forth in an attempt at flirting.

"M'lady, you've stolen my heart since that first day that we met." Cat Noir smiled but the edge of flirtatiousness wasn't there, just a soft, genuine kind of honesty. Ladybug doubted that she could love him more than she did now, when she knew him about as well as she possibly could other than the little details like favorite color or what his favorite class was in school.

"I guess that I fell into your life, huh?" Ladybug muttered, trying to sound at least a little decent with the words that she spoke.

"That you did, Ladybug." Cat Noir flirted back.

Ladybug shook her head, "Sometimes I wonder how I could have fallen for you with that."

"Weren't you feline like taking a risk then?" Cat Noir teased, and his lady rolled her eyes back at him.

"I love you, Kitty, and it has nothing to do with risk." She stepped closer, glad to be on solid rooftop again rather than on the slippery edge, and she leaned up to kiss her boyfriend on the lips.

He returned the sign of affection with love that made her practically melt into a gooey pile of the supehero that she was supposed to be. Either way, she'd take this over being anything but his partner.


	9. Favor

"Can you do a favor for me?" Ladybug asked one night, "My friend is a fan of ours."

"A fan?" Cat Noir asked, and his confident smile made her belly squirm happily.

"Yeah, she runs the LadyBlog, and she really wants an interview with us since we started dating." Ladybug's face went pink, "Her birthday's coming up, and I wanted to surprise her. I know that I really shouldn't, since I'm not supposed to blend my identities together, but..." Ladybug looked more and more nervous as she kept speaking.

"Oh, I don't mind. A little LadyNoir interview as they'd call it is fine with me." Cat Noir grinned.

"You looked up our ship name?" She looked more surprised than anything else, and Cat Noir couldn't help his bemused joy.

"Yeah, people draw art and write stories about us." He smiled, "Some aren't 'in character,' but they only know us from Akuma battles and sometimes patrols, so it's fine. It's good with that in mind. Some are scarily good. Are you a fanfiction writer, M'lady?"

"Not at all." She smiled, "I'm not as good with words as they are. I'm more of a designer or an artist, so if I'd been a fan that made stuff for us and not Ladybug, then I'd probably draw art or may be..." Ladybug let her words trail off with a light smirk.

"Or may be...?" Cat Noir hinted, picking up the bait that she'd dropped just for him.

"A cosplayer." Ladybug spoke up, "I'd design our suits or outfits based off of it, and then we'd be able to wear it, assuming that neither of us were the superheroes.

"Can we? Or can you design some? Not our suits, obviously, but I'd love to wear designs by Ladybug for fun that were based off of us?" Cat Noir asked, and she couldn't help her almost giggle.

"You'd get the spots, Kitty. I'd really rock those ears." She teased, tapping his bell.

"Of course, you would." Cat Noir grinned, "And there's nothing wrong with the spots."

Ladybug shook her head, "Thank you for agreeing with the interview. When do you want to surprise her?"

"Saturday's patrol or a little before it, if you have time? I'm free all evening Saturday for once." Cat Noir asked her.

"Oh. Yeah. Just before six? I have a party to go to around seven thirty." She admitted.

"Me too, actually. If I can slip away to it." Cat Noir smiled at her, "I'd tell the whole world that the most incredible woman in the world is dating me."

She shook her head, "You probably will. One day, I promise you that we'll be more than just superheroes dating."

"We'd be regular people too then?" It was a question and yet not much of one; the idea sparked in his heart, and he couldn't wait until one day long after this favor, long after this interview, when they could be just Adrien and whatever Ladybug's birth name was.


	10. Bell

Behind her, she could hear the semi-distant tinkling of a bell that she knew far too well. She waited though for him to come up behind her before she spun around to face him, "Hey, there, Kitty."  
"M'lady?" She could hear the pout in his voice more than she could see it on his face.

"Your bell, right here," She flicked it, smiling as it made noise, and as Cat Noir gulped as if it was the first time that she'd done so even though she'd done so dozens of times before, "gave you away."

Cat Noir's eyes stayed rooted on her, and she wondered for the millionth time what he saw in her at times like these or what he saw in her in general. She was just herself, just one person, and yet he somehow saw the stars and the moon in her, saw her as something valuable, almost like a gem in its own way, something that shined and glimmered more than the bell on his suit.

"Yeah, my bell's right there." And for one of the first times since they'd began dating, she wondered what it must have felt like to have his bell flicked, to feel that shiny, golden metal brush against his throat, what it felt like. Did it feel like tremors racing across his skin, drawing a kind of warmth that he didn't know how to convey? Was it distracting in its little sparks or may be it just felt weird?

How sensitive was his neck right there? She brushed those thoughts as far from her mind as she could; her Kitty had never actually told her, and yet her mind still ran circles around itself sometimes in curiosity.

"It is." She answered, hating how sometimes the conversation went dead like this when secret identities were concealed, when sometimes they had started more of a dead end conversation than one that would have lasted. It hadn't bugged her too often back before they were dating, but now these conversations made her almost antsy. There was only so much that she could know or was allowed to learn right now anyway.

"So," Cat Noir began, "How'd today go?" It could have been any number of reasons, any number of anything, and yet she stepped even closer to lean against his side as they looked over Paris together.

"It went. My dad's business was pretty busy today, so I was working pretty hard there, and the Akuma happened at the worst time as usual, but I'm really glad that I got to see you." It was hard to side swipe around revealing aspects of her identity, but she could share that much. It was perhaps even harder to admit to really, really liking seeing her partner whenever she could.

She'd been shy for a long time with romantic feelings, and it still felt so new to her and yet all that she wanted to do was stay close to him, savor these kinds of moments. She wasn't even sure anymore how to explain this to her parents if she ever could; was this more than some teen romance or was it ordinary? Was it normal to want to spend so much time with him or to love the little things like how he reacted to bell flicks or how he tried to sneak up on her or even just the way that he kissed her, like she was his everything.

Sometimes she felt like she was in too deep when he made another sacrifice for her during an Akuma fight and when her heart leapt to her throat in mad fear, and yet it balanced itself out with the sheer joy of this moment, of many little things.

"I'm glad to make it pawsitively better, M'lady." He smiled at her, and just being here with him in this moment lit her heart back on up again. He was her endless high and yet her worst low; he'd became her world after all this time. She still wasn't sure how to tell him all of this.

"Yeah." She smiled as she tried to find something to say, "I like your bell." And she did, there was just something so eyecatching about it, so innocent, and yet so playful. It was almost like it made him her Kitty, because a bell is a sign of a domesticated kitty, and he claimed her as his own.

"Me too." Cat Noir admitted, "My Kwami, Plagg, doesn't like it near as much." And she could see it, a little cat like Kwami grumbling and complaining about the bell, and she couldn't help her bright beaming smile or the fact that she just wanted to giggle at the idea.

"Why doesn't he like it?" She couldn't help asking as she pressed closer, relaxing as she took her boyfriend's hand in hers.

"I think that he finds it tacky or too attention grabbing." Cat Noir shrugged, and she wondered about his Kwami; how well did they get along? What did Plagg like eating or doing or whatever?

There were so many questions of hers that couldn't be answered anytime soon. "Oh, but that's sort of what you do usually in Akuma fights anyway."

"So I can't be sneaky?" Cat Noir teased as he leaned down to her.

"Oh, you can be plenty sneaky. You stole my heart after all." She leaned forward and claimed a kiss just for the sake of it as her heart raced in her chest. Ladybug wasn't sure whether she was ready to admit that she loved Cat Noir as her boyfriend yet, but she could definitely say that she was getting there if she wasn't there already.


	11. Addictive

Was there a feeling that could sum up all of this? Ladybug was pretty sure that nothing quite came as close as could be to it: addictive, blissful, pleasant, loving, incredible, amazing, toe curling, and so much could come kind of close.

Just she stood up on her tiptoes, locking lips with the most incredible man in the world, claws holding her close but never cutting into her, never hurting her. They were reassuring and in their own weird way, comforting. It told her that it really was her faithful partner across from her rather than some other random person. It told her that their transformations hadn't yet dropped and hopefully wouldn't while they kissed.

She leaned up against him, eager to always remain as close to his lips as she could, feeling that pleasant bubble in her belly burst as passion ate her insides alive and made her feel so pleasantly warm. His lips were steady and yet never pushy; he preferred to let her lead, because he never wanted to overstep his bounds and yet that didn't mean that it couldn't become a messy kiss with no real leader. He was a gentleman, and she would wonder how she'd never really seen it or understood it before for what it was.

His tongue was a curious thing, and yet every brush of it against either her lips or anywhere left her body tingling and her nerves alert. Kissing him was both a feeling that felt like taking an incredible risks, Akumas weren't always easy to beat after all, and like coming home. With her partner, she'd always be safe. Cat Noir would sacrifice himself for her sake, and he'd do it hundreds upon hundreds of times over for her if he ever needed to. That both made her feel safe and so, so scared.

Love made her long to protect him, made her worry for his sake if he put himself at risk, and yet she loved this feeling like floating on clouds and yet staying close, close as can be to him. Cat Noir made her insides squirm with little ladybugs and yet made her heart race.

Every close moment felt like volt upon volt of electricity and yet also felt so satisfyingly sweet, felt like finding a sort of home in this crazy world that didn't belong inside her home. She'd be at home anywhere with him; he just had to be there, and Ladybug nestled as close as she could to him, tried to make every moment last as close to forever as they could get.

Ladybug's toes curled, and yet she was never as conscious of her toes curling as she probably should be. She felt alive with her boyfriend this breathtakingly close to her; she felt alive whenever his lips touched hers.

Being with him left her heart racing and her mind lost to feeling, and boy, could he cause so much feeling within her. She just longed to stay this close where every touch was electrifying, where every kiss lit her heart on fire, and every close moment left her almost dazed.

Her partner called it seeing ladybugs whenever she kissed him senseless, and in that way, she wondered if she should call it seeing little black kitties, because honestly, he was her Kitty, her love. She just couldn't focus on any of that even as he pulled away and as she tried to sink down to the rooftop beneath her, let her feet relax, but all that she could feel was the remnants of that kiss and still she could have been floating on clouds for all she knew.

"I love you." No nicknames, just the three words that she knew that he loved being able to confess to her, and it only lit her dazed, breathless heart on fire. Yes, he was her biggest addiction, and she doubted that anything in the world could compare.

"I love you too." Open honesty tumbled out of her lips to meet his own, and her heart gave a pleasant squeeze in her chest. Everything would be okay as long as they stayed together and had these incredible, little moments together that only fueled her addiction and made her love him even more.


	12. Secrets

"Let's play a game of secrets, no identity spilling or anything, just something that most people don't know about you. My friend had a group of us play the game, and they mostly revolved around our childhood, something that we'll likely never hear about again or even be able connect to our identities." Cat Noir looked slightly bored or restless as he kind of explained this all to her, trying to just convey something, something a little less than normal.

She'd just played this game the other day with Alya, Nino, and Adrien, and she'd had to be careful over what exactly she said for two reasons: one being her more obvious than it probably should be crush and the other being her secret identity.

Ladybug rightly shouldn't say, 'yes,' to this, but she kind of wanted to play as curiosity prickled her mind. There was so much that she didn't know about Cat Noir, and they could carefully sidestep around their identities, she'd done this once before after all, "Sure."

"So sometimes with my father's job when I have to look happy for a photoshoot or whatever and I'm told to think of anything that makes me happy, I think of you, Bugaboo. I haven't really told anyone about it, because they'll probably either tease me or tell me that I don't know you well enough. It just never made sense to explain it or really put myself in a situation where I have to defend my feelings." He shrugged, "That was a lot harder to say than I thought it would be."

"Okay, that's really sweet of you, I think." She blushed; the thought hadn't really occurred to her of what Cat Noir may have thought about during the duller parts of the day, "You're a model. That kind of fits, actually."

"Because I'm pawsitively handsome?" He teased, green eyes twinking, "Why, thank you, M'lady."

She shook her head, "Actually, it's more of the way you hold yourself, not that you're not handsome, just you kind of hold yourself differently. If that makes sense..?" Ladybug stumbled for the right words to explain her thoughts, "Okay, I have the biggest crush on Adrien Agreste, and until recently, I don't think he knew about it."

"Until recently?" Cat Noir caught on to the wording though there may have been quite a few girls with crushes on his civilian identity and with less likelihood of him knowing. Most were decently vocal about it, but it had only occurred to him more recently that some girls wouldn't tell him outright, so he may be a little behind on who actually likes him like that.

"Y-Yeah," Ladybug admitted, shyly, "I tried to confess before but all that comes out is gibberish. I'm not entirely sure if he knows that I have a crush on him or if I successfully avoided that, but still."

"Okay, okay. I see what you mean." Cat Noir admitted, trying to sidestep around overthinking things too much, "So, I'm really worried that I might slowly be starting to like this girl that I go to school with. It's not much, certainly not enough to draw me away from you, but I still worry about it." He wasn't going to admit this to her, probably ever, but at her honesty over her crush, he couldn't help how it spilled out of his lips.

"It will be fine, Kitty." She sighed, "Sometimes I think it's better if you move on. I don't want to hurt you, and you are my best friend."

Cat Noir stepped closer, looping his arms around her waist in a for once just friendly gesture; it helped to have her close like a balm to his heart, and he knew that they'd somehow be fine though he refused to give up hope about her one day falling just as in love with him as he was with her. He needed to have her close, and he wasn't entirely sure that he could deny that being an attention starved kitty thing, just being close to her eased worry and made his heart start to race in contentment. May be one day, he'll get a chance to share kisses with her and tell her the most important secret of all as long as they could be safe and avoid Hawkmoth coming to know too.


	13. Spots

He couldn't really point out much of a beginning to when he started noticing them except for that second day when she'd stood up to Hawkmoth, and even then, he wasn't entirely sure if he paid any attention to them other than when she wore them. It just sort of happened.

It began with a doodle after being on the LadyBlog all day which honestly wasn't much since he wasn't really what you'd call an artist; black circles over top of his white page. He didn't own a single red sheet, and was half tempted to order some, but he really wasn't sure if he could justify the reason to his father.

Just, he was seeing spots from that second and not just when she wore them, and he'd gladly keep on seeing spots even though he still wasn't quite sure that he knew how to explain it to anyone. Whenever he saw red with black spots over it, his mind flew to Ladybug, imagining her, standing up to Hawkmoth, remembering her klutziness on the day they met, wondering what her lips tasted like.

It was persistent, and he'd give it that much since all that he could think about whenever he saw spots was her. Ladybug was so incredibly brave, scared to death, nervous, strong, smart, and those weren't nearly enough to justify the spots that swam around inside of his head. She was so much more, and as Cat Noir, he wasn't quite sure if he even had the words to define it.

Once he'd spotted her, really saw her on that day, he was never able to go back to even half of the stray cat that he considered himself more than he could. He'd gladly let her tame him, and he'd be a loyal kitty. Those spots though would never leave his mind.

* * *

"M'lady, are you ever reminded of me?" He asked, voice softer than wind on the air as his eyes found hers once again.

"Well, I guess." She muttered, "Whenever I hear a pun or see a cat, usually black ones, or whenever I see a bell, my mind sometimes wanders back to you." Ladybug shrugged like it was nothing more than a passing thought, "Sometimes, I see stuff that I can't help but wonder if you'd like, but I've always been the sort to do that with my friends, so..."

"I think of you all the time." Cat Noir wondered if that was too forward and if it were possible to retract those words even as he couldn't help but go on, "I see spots. I can't help but be reminded of you when I see a ladybug or spots or when I hear the words 'Lucky Charm.' I keep drawing spots on any blank page that I have on me when I'm home."  
"You draw spots?" Her eyes went wide, and he smiled just seeing it.

"Yeah, I shouldn't, because it really is never like seeing you, and I don't own red paper." Cat Noir finally stopped, catching his tongue before it ran any further off.

"Kitty, I sometimes draw cats." She smiled, "My best friend worries about me sometimes since I'll doodle little, black kitties along the page of a design of mine if my mind wanders to you. We spend so much time together and are so close that it just happens sometimes." Ladybug looked half like she wanted to retract her statement and hide herself away and yet like she was desperate for him to understand her.

"You draw cats?" His smile grew as he imagined little kitty doodles that had to be so much better than the spots that he drew and little bright green eyes to go with them.

"Yeah." She admitted, face red behind her mask, "It's weird. I've been drawing them more and more lately and drawing my crush less and less."

Cat Noir smiled, "Have you finally fallen for me?"

"I wouldn't count it as a victory yet." She teased as she leaned close to his side, and even if he had to wait a little bit longer for her to fall for him, he found the waiting just a little bit easier.


	14. Partners

They were partners first and foremost; Ladybug could tell you that from the bottom of her heart. Every beat of her heart by his side, every second with him, and every Akuma battle; they were partners.

Partners never give up on each other or on their love whether it's platonic or romantic, and so before she told you that she fell in love with him, she'd tell you that he was her best friend. Cat Noir was her better half or so she'd swear by.

He's so gentle, sweet, gentlemanly, funny, selfless, and even among all of his flaws which could lead back to jealousy or selfishness, he made her stronger and better, and for her, she hoped that she did the same.

Partners took their flaws, their weaknesses, and somehow made them stronger together. Ladybug could swear by her partner's kind heart, she grew more attentive, or by her partner's anger sometimes, it made her think whether he was right or wrong. He wouldn't always be right, but then again she wouldn't be either.

Ladybug wondered if there was any other way to be perfect partners together than to admit to your flaws, lay them at your partner's side, and let your flaws become nearly your strengths. There were times when her experiences made beating an Akuma easier, and then there were times when his experiences made it easier.

Just being broken or incomplete together somehow gave them the strength to rise above their obstacles and left them at perfect partners.

* * *

Sometimes they fought or Cat Noir felt a little left out, but he trusted his partner above all else. It seemed odd that somehow she took his flaws and made them better, made him stronger.

Ladybug could remind him of the rest of the world, of what he had to do yet, and whenever he saw her blue eyes sparkling with tears and with pain, his heart broke and bled. It's just she was his everything, his better other half.

She's so smart and creative; she has a good heart and yet she can still focus on the task at hand during an Akuma battle and come back afterward to truly care. Ladybug pays attention, knows how her partner's powers work, and he only wishes sometimes that he could be like that. It's just incredible all of the things that she can do, all the ways that she makes him better.

When he's distracted, she pulls him back in even though usually his mind wanders to her anyway when he's distracted following his eyes. She keeps him going. Ladybug is his hidden pool of strength, his perfect partner, and he couldn't love her more.

Just she reminds him to think outside of the box, to not just be lost as to what to do, but to expand his horizons, really push himself. She reminds him that among fear and insecurity, you can be brave and strong and business like.

Seeing her worry though when someone she likely knows is in danger makes his heart ache. Her heart is so kind and caring beneath the dirt covering it from the outside world, from the camera, and Cat Noir's glad that she lets him in, lets him rest there when he grows weary.

She's his partner, and he loves her past her jealousy, her selfishness, her businesslike nature at times, and he's so, so thankful that he got to meet her and got to fall in love with her, because among her flaws, she's become so much to him, she makes him stronger.

He'd spend every day by her side if he could.


	15. Half-Reveal

He'd never said that it would be any easier reconciling the image of his partner, his perfect partner, flaws and all, with the image placed before him. Cat Noir though would tell you that it would be easier if they both knew who each other were beneath the mask, if they both knew just exactly who risked their lives for them. Love was made better without secrets, but this way, it just felt partial, incomplete.

Cat Noir had been just a second too late while diving for cover, just a moment too slow to avoid seeing his lady become his princess, and he felt like an absolute mess. Their Miraculouses were like ticking time bombs after Akuma battles, just mere moments before they were to be seen to the world for who they really are. Time never was completely nice to anyone. If Cat Noir could have his way, time would last forever when he and Ladybug were kissing and sink into a quick, fast, play by play in Akuma battles: fast and fun.

His photo shoots would last five minutes, and he and his lady would have an eternity together and endless, peaceful patrols. Just, he was the incarnation of bad luck and even Ladybug's good luck never ran forever, never lasted as long as it could.

Alleyways were terrible places to transform and so were behind parked cars, but timing wasn't always on their side and sometimes people were quieter or quicker than they really ought to be. "M'lady." Fell from his lips, a broken murmur, and yet it wasn't enough to catch her attention or make her turn around. He wasn't near loud enough.

Staring though at pink capris and a cute, homemade T-Shirt, and an adorable, black spotted Kwami, and a smile that could melt the world, almost broke his heart. This was never enough, not enough. He should have, he needed to, he just needed it to be equal like their partnership had always been, two equals falling in love, two equals fighting crime, and yet this wasn't near enough, not close enough to equal.

"L-Ladybug." Became his quiet mantra as her name grew to mean a girl that was as sweet as the treats that she baked in her father's bakery with a smile as adorable as her favorite color, pink, and hair as dark as the night was when he'd shown her his surprise for his lady.

Everything made sense in the span of it all, and though his heart hurt, he never did stop loving her. An identity behind her mask just made him love her more, somehow.


	16. Hand Kiss

It was one of her kitty's favorite ways to let her know that he still cared and that he loved her so much, and honestly, even though now it was just starting to melt her heart and leave it like a melty, giddy pile of goo in her chest, it was quickly becoming her favorite too.

She'd never imagined that something so simple, a single act of love, could make her heart race and made her blush in a sort of joy that she'd never expected to have from her partner. Ladybug never expected for her heart to race from her hand being kissed.

It wasn't the type of kiss that she'd heard all about in fairytales or in love stories, and it was more of an age old form of affection, but she wasn't sure if anything really could make her practically fall apart like it did.

It was simple and yet despite that it still managed to warm her heart and leave her so happy and feeling so loved. Ladybug loved the hand kisses, the little reminders that her partner still loved her, and still thought about her.

"Hey, Kitty?" She called out, trying to get the attention of her boyfriend though they hadn't really been dating all that long.

"Yes, M'lady?" He asked her as he came to stand in front of her, and her heart squeezed in a sudden burst of affection as she remembered all of the warm hand kisses, every last one of them that now made her heart sing.

She steeled what she could of her confidence, a feat that she felt like she couldn't have pulled off if she wasn't transformed right now, and pulled his clawed hand up to press against her lips, leaving a small kiss that made his clawed hands curl close to the bottom of her hand, still careful to not scratch her.

Her heart warmed just seeing a little mostly involuntary act of pure love and elation from her partner when she finally returned the favor. When she glanced back up from his hand, letting it go, she met wide green eyes and a stunned, blushing face.

Ladybug's heart stuttered in pure love, and finally, she found herself so glad that she could return the favor to him completely that often left her stunned even now.

"M'lady?" He asked though it was just met with a smile of hers before they'd really part for the evening until either the next patrol or the next Akuma fight.

Ladybug just wanted him to know just how much she cared for him too, how much she really did love him.


	17. Public Relations

Ladybug was only good with her partner or at least that's the way that she felt. They were in this together, and most of all, her Kitty did help her overcome her fears, nervousness, anxiety, or whatever else. On that battlefield, the bravery that she exuded especially at the beginning when she needed all the encouragement that she could get came straight from her partner.

By his side, she sometimes felt invincible. Now, that courage, that bravery, comes from the fact that her partner always has her back. They run together like a well oiled machine which is probably why they managed to sink into this relationship so well.

The public on the other hand didn't mind it, just it was a Ladybug fueled city. She was their beloved superheroine, day in, day out, the inspiration for so many. Just, she felt especially now, but in a way, always that her partner deserved some kind of recognition too.

He may not be able to use Lucky Charm or purify the Akuma or restore the city to its previously untouched state, but he did do so much for her and for Paris. His Cataclysm has saved lives before, his loving and compassionate heart given people a chance even when Ladybug felt that they may have not deserved it or even when she may have overlooked their needs.

If there was ever anyone that Ladybug felt like the city should look up to was her partner, serious as he can be at times, and at other times, a pun loving dork that kept Ladybug more than a little sane.

She sighed as she glanced back over at another Ladybug focused event on honoring the heroine of the city that they dubbed 'keeps Parisians safe!' Next to the saying that of course began with her superhero name was a little ladybug, and they were hoping that she'd see it and come running to celebrate her name again even though she never, ever came to those events without her beloved partner.

* * *

If you'd ask Cat Noir, he'd tell you that Paris looked up to the right hero, his partner that he had complete trust in. She kept him going on days when he didn't think that he could handle it all and her bravery became his own.

Ladybug almost never let herself get distracted and through her business like attitude, the day got saved, and Paris could be restored to normal again. As for Cat Noir, he didn't look down on himself at all, just it was nice to take a step back away from the spotlight and just live and breathe.

Cat Noir still got a lot of attention, don't get him wrong, but Ladybug gained the most. He was still more beloved than Rena Rouge since she was new and had only made a couple of appearances before Paris to date, but Ladybug, she stood up to Hawkmoth on that second day, announced that Paris could trust them, and gave them a speech, heartfelt as she could be.

She was Cat Noir's hidden pool of strength, and he did get recognition for being by her side, just rarely ever by himself. He didn't really mind: stuffy parties could be annoying anyway, and everything was always better by his lady's side.

* * *

If you asked Paris, they'd say that Cat Noir and Ladybug were both pretty important as far as saving the day goes or at least most would. There were a few fans that were die hard fans for either hero, and honestly, some found it easier to just admire Ladybug rather than ignore Cat Noir focus on what kind of a role model Ladybug really was for Paris.

She's determined, brave, proficient, and while she is emotional, most won't hold it against her. Little girls dreamed of growing up to be Ladybug, some little boys said that they wanted to be as strong as her, and there were always going to be the occasional fan that had a crush on her or may be not so occasional.

Her popularity only grew when they'd announced to Paris that they were formally dating now, formally because few believed that they weren't dating since almost the beginning. A few even theorized that they'd been married for generations and though unable to have kids, refused to give up hope on each other. Mostly due to the findings that Ladybug might just be at least five thousand years old.

The idea that Ladybug could love Cat Noir just as much, return his affections, and had an even sweeter side to her than when she was caught up in an Akuma fight or another, made Paris just love her more and see more out of both her and Cat Noir.

There public relations weren't ever really bad since she'd stood up to Hawkmoth on that second day, just sometimes they never said enough.


	18. Claws And Bugs

Cat Noir was always careful with his claws, never digging into her when he held her, never letting her get hurt. Ladybug was half positive that she was the luckiest bug in the world though she knew that she had to be the luckiest woman alive.

Just being close to her Kitty, her superhero partner, left her heart racing now, and feeling his arms hold her steady when they kissed left her body warm pretty much from head to toe. Ladybug felt like she had to be in love now, after all this time, for her Kitty to snuggle right up against her heart despite everything against it: Akuma fights, identities that weren't revealed, her old crush, just everything wasn't enough to hold them back from each other.

She snuggled up against her boyfriend and couldn't help when the words tumbled from her lips unbidden, "Kitty, I love you." Perhaps, it was too soon. It certainly felt that way. Had it been three months since they started dating? Or had it been longer or less time? She wasn't entirely sure anymore though she used to count their 'dates' up when they first began dating.  
It wasn't like a date with him meant going to see a movie or having dinner at a fancy restaurant, usually it just meant patrol, or a rooftop dinner or a picnic somewhere out of sight, usually on the rooftops. Sometimes it just meant meeting up to cuddle and kiss on top of the Eiffel Tower.

Dating wasn't particularly normal when you were a superhero anyway.

"M'lady?" He murmured as wide green eyes finally met her honest blue ones, and the breathtaking smile that lit up his face had her heart racing so, so fast in her chest.

"I love you too, Bugaboo, so much!" He cheered as he pulled her into his arms, still likely dazed from the surprise confession and so, so happy as he spun her around in sheer joy.

Yes, her Kitty did have claws, but they'd never been a problem for her. Bugs weren't normally the sort to hang out with and enjoy being around clawed companions, but she wouldn't trade her favorite Kitty for the world, and she was positive that he wouldn't trade his favorite bug for the world.


	19. Communication

Communication was key for any good relationship or so Ladybug had heard. They didn't always have time for joint patrols or for only being able to talk during Akuma battles, so since burner phones were still a little out of her price range, they settled for E-Mail on brand new E-Mail accounts.

'Kitty, do you ever wish that we could do more?' It was something short and simple and yet something that was already driving her mind bonkers as her thoughts ran in circles around her. All that she wanted was something somehow more, to be able to do more together, even though she could feel as well as he could that their love ran stronger than perhaps anyone's their age that she'd seen.

A little video request popped up, meaning that her precious Kitty was transformed right now, so she rushed through her transformation phrase, adjusted her hair, and pressed 'Accept.'

"Bugaboo?" His voice came through his computer's microphone easily enough as she soon saw her kitty a bit better as he leaned away from the computer, "We are more, Ladybug." He smiled, and with just a glance at that smile that she knew so well especially now, she could feel it.

"But we can't really date like our friends can nor can we actually talk on the phone like anyone else." It didn't matter that she'd saved both her new E-Mail to her phone and her computer as well as set both up with active alerts. Sometimes technology could be pretty darn useful.

"But do any of our friends know what true sacrifice or selfless love is like?" He threw back at her, "I'd die for you, Bugaboo. I've even proved it in some Akuma battles, and we both know that. Most teenagers don't know whether they would for their significant other." He winked at her though the memory of just how much he sacrificed for her still made her heart ache in agony though she wasn't sure if she could say that much out loud as of yet. He could probably read it in her eyes anyway.

"N-No. Some get it though. Did you see when Zombizou attacked that a boy, The Bubbler at one point, sacrificed himself for the girl that was once Lady Wifi?" It was best to avoid civilian names to not give too much away, "Or during Befana, didn't some teenagers sacrifice themselves for their classmate from what I heard?"

"Can you honestly tell me that you've felt something like this before?" She saw the raw honesty in her Kitty's green eyes and couldn't help as honesty spilled forth from her own lips.

"No. Even when I liked that kid in my class." It was still best to avoid names, "I never felt anything too, too close to this. I'd die for you too, and while that scares me, and I know that you'll never make me go through that, I don't think that I've ever felt even half of what I feel for you for someone else before even when I thought that I knew what love was."

"Ladybug." Cat Noir's voice grew extremely soft, hard for his mic to pick up, "I love you." It probably didn't mean much to hear just three words like that and yet those words held the world within their depths for them. Love truly was something more than they'd ever known; it was sacrificial to even scary lengths and yet neither Ladybug or Cat Noir wanted anything less than this.


	20. Friends

If you'd asked Cat Noir whether he'd be getting another partner to help save the day on a more occasional basis in the past, he'd think that you were nuts. He didn't need another partner simply because, Ladybug was the best partner that anyone could have, flaws and all.

Rena Rouge felt less like Ladybug and sometimes more like Cat Noir, and while it was a brand new experience to be working beside two superheroines, he'd gladly tell you that he found another best friend in Rena Rouge, someone to race to see who could patrol half of Paris faster, one to joke with, just it wasn't quite the same as Ladybug.

Past the first day's flirting, things had cooled down like throwing ice into a bucket of water, and while Rena wasn't Ladybug, it didn't mean that they didn't joke around like long time friends especially knowing that he could trust her, because Ladybug trusted her completely.

It was weird that their new partner was a fox after that huge Volpina incident quite a few months back, but he didn't mind too terribly much. Curiosity did burn sometimes, but he knew how important identities were. He wondered though what quality of hers stood out so much to Ladybug that she felt like she'd be a part of their team.  
He saw bravery, a kind heart, someone quick on her feet, and there could be many things and even beneath that all there was a kind of loyalty there. Just, while patrolling with Rena could be fun, his favorite times were of course with his lady.

Cat Noir had found a wingwoman in Rena who supported him wholeheartedly of his attempts to woo Ladybug, but he still found a woman that could set every star in place from pure stubbornness in his lady. She could daze the world around her with a smile if she ever felt like, and just to see how much she trusted Rena and to know that Ladybug knew Rena Rouge's identity and still kept her going strong and didn't falter in the least gave him hope for one day, a day where Ladybug and Cat Noir didn't need masks to separate them any longer.

Either way, Cat Noir found a friend in Rena Rouge, but a perfect partner in Ladybug. He'd attest to that every day of his life if you were to ever ask him.


	21. Habits

It wasn't hard anymore to notice distinct shifts in her partner's mood; it came with being as close to him as she was. Ladybug had learned that Cat Noir had the tendency to rub his neck sometimes when he was nervous and let it show. If not, she'd came to read the expression in his eyes, the way that they'd drop away from her when it was difficult for him to sleep.

He'd learned her habits too, like how sometimes on patrol when everything just became too much and bubbled from her lips, she had a tendency to ramble and rant to him like she did Alya, just reigned in enough to not reveal her identity. She also had a habit of being more agitated when she was stressed or racing through patrol with single minded focus.

Ladybug wondered if this was what love was like to someone well versed in it or at least had more experience, learning to love or at least know the habits of your partner. She'd started memorizing just what facial expression that he'd have before he made a pun or just when he felt playful.

During Akuma battles, they moved as one, acting just the way that the other needed off of some sort of instinct that had bloomed between them the more often they fought them and the more time they spent together. Sometimes, she could have sworn it was a habit on quieter patrols to move more as one, to understand the words that the other just hasn't said.

Now, though, her favorite habit was when Cat Noir wasn't sure if it was okay to ask for a kiss, like when Ladybug was slightly agitated, or when patrol has mostly been quiet, and he bites his lip and he can't stop looking at her with accidental kitty eyes and as if she is the most valuable gem that he'd ever seen in his life.

She always asks him for a kiss when he stares at her like that even though it took her a moment, a little while, to figure out what that stare meant. The first time that she'd caught him doing so, she'd asked him, and he'd nervously asked if they could kiss. She'd been so angry and worn out from too many projects that everything had came down upon her, making patrol quiet, because she both felt like hurrying up and returning home to work on everything and yet like stretching out patrol for a bit of a break from her plans.

Ladybug had felt like a woman wandering the desert in need of water and just being offered a whole, delicious bottle of it at the question. She'd discovered that kissing her partner that doubled as her boyfriend was one of the best kinds of stress relief.

Just every day being together, they learned what every little thing meant, what each habit truly meant, and they fell more in love. She was positive that sometimes his habits would drive her insane in the worst kinds of ways, but yet she also knew that it felt impossible to just quit loving him, bad habits, good habits, old habits, and all.


	22. Eiffel Tower

Ladybug loved these moments, climbing and swinging up to the top of the Eiffel Tower on quiet nights, letting the moon's light guide her, and knowing that for a moment, she won't need to be Marinette with all of her commitments that usually felt small in comparison to saving Paris, and she won't just have to be the superheroine of Paris. It's almost like she gets a chance to slip out of all of her burdens for a few quiet moments.

Her eyes find the smallest hint of familiar boots as she finally draws close to the top and so she sits down beside him, still unsure how to breach the small distance at first between them, a little unsure of how to actually balance it even when she knows she has nothing to fear or worry about, because the evening will go exactly the way that it always does.

"M'Lady." Cat Noir greets her, relaxing against her side, "How'd today go? No real patrol and no Akumas." His green eyes sparkle, and while she could spill all of her secret identity related burdens, it isn't a plea for one or the other and there's no pressure.

"It went well enough." She kicked her spandex covered feet through the air, "I came up with a new design, and I think that even you will like it." Ladybug grins though she doubts that Cat Noir would ever dislike any of her designs even though he hasn't to this day seen a single one of them. Her name's always hidden somewhere, and she worries that somehow he'll know it.

"A new design?" Cat Noir stood up, playfully offering a hand for her, "Would I look fabulous in it?"

Sometimes she wonders why she worries or bothers and yet just seeing that teasing gleam in his eyes and knowing that his humor in part is to keep them talking and avoiding asking the wrong thing about her identity, respecting her decision to keep their identities secret even now when it's the most difficult thing to do. She takes his hand and yet she doesn't stop there, "Light pink might just be the color for you. I think a dress would look so good for your long legs."

"I could rock a tutu?" He suggested, still joking, "But no heels."

"Boots are your thing, aren't they?" She teased, glancing down at his boots, "I don't think that you've ever worn anything other than your boots?"

He rolled his green eyes playfully, feigning mild annoyance, "Nope. I rock tennis shoes too."

Ladybug shook her head, "I'll get you flats for your dress."

Cat Noir laughed, and she was so glad that they could have these moments together, because honestly, sometimes things did get too serious. Being a superhero could be hard work, but she loved the few nights that they could schedule to meet up on top of the Eiffel Tower and talk about random stuff, but they never just stuck with chatter the whole time.

"I don't think that dresses are this cat's thing actually, but thank you for your consideration with the shoes." Cat Noir smiled, still looking faintly amused, and Ladybug met his grin with one of her own.

"You'd look dashing in pink." Ladybug thought it over, "Or fabulous."  
He laughed and shook his head.

Ladybug smiled; nerves forgotten for another moment. She didn't have to worry as she stood on her tiptoes and leaned over to catch her boyfriend's still amused lips in a kiss. Even though, the night won't last forever, every second close to Cat Noir up on the Eiffel Tower left her feeling like it just could. Every kiss was an addiction of hers, captured her heart in its steady grip, and she'd never want to lose these moments that made her feel on top of the world, that kept her from staggering through problem after problem constantly.

Every moment was a blessing, and it was difficult sometimes to keep herself from just asking for their identities to be spilled, so that these moments could last longer and so that they weren't mainly reserved for the Eiffel Tower or random Parisian rooftops. He meant so much more to her even though she still couldn't quite say the two to three words that would change their lives forever.


	23. Time

Time was a funny thing. At one time, she'd only known Cat Noir in the way that you would a best friend, before that her adorkable partner that tried to fill the air when quiet with puns or flirtations that steadily grew on her heart, and now, she wasn't sure if she was standing at a precipice of change or if she'd long since passed that threshold.

Ladybug had learned that sometimes love blossomed and festered before her in ways that she'd never expect, and with Cat Noir, it felt stronger than most feelings of love. He'd snuck up on her heart, on tiptoes, and when he'd finally made it to the point that he could nestle in there and be happy where feelings start to return, she'd had no idea that it would hit her.

It had first started when he became her best friend, and she started to realize that she couldn't do this alone and at all and in time, those mostly platonic feelings became wildly swept up in the hurricane of love, changing her completely.

Now, her heart lived for little kisses or clawed hands in her or spending more, more time on top of the Eiffel Tower together or on rooftop dates or lazy, talkative patrols. A part of her heart even longed for Akuma battles as an excuse to hang out with her boyfriend a little extra.

She wasn't entirely sure how she came to be this caught up in time, but through this and all of the other time before it, she'd realized that this was pretty close to how Cat Noir had felt so long about hanging out with her. The only difference was with their relationship going from platonic to romantic, it got much deeper, much more meaningful for them both.

Ladybug lived for every little moment between them, and she could never find the words to deny that.


	24. Summer Nights

It was one of those unreasonably hot days, days when Hawkmoth really should take a break, and days when Ladybug was kind of jealous that he got to likely stay in a cool building throughout the whole battle.

She wondered really if he had any sense or ounce of care for anybody, because it sure didn't feel like it. Now, she and Cat Noir were more on autopilot than fully aware of anything as they ran a brief patrol that was thankfully under the cooler, night air. It still felt a bit too warm, and Ladybug wondered if she got a say over how the weather is supposed to be.

Her blue eyes flickered to her partner as they stopped on a rooftop overlooking the Eiffel Tower, the heart of Paris, and she wondered if he felt just as restless like the heat had been clawing his skin out like it had for her.

Ladybugs weren't known for shying from heat, but today just made her want to go home with an ice cold bottle of water and may be some fruit as she tried to work on designs. Anything baked or cooked would be too hot.

"What is it?" Cat Noir managed to be somewhat calm, avoiding looking like he wanted to crawl home though she figured it had to be worse for him since he was in all black.

"Just, today's been a little unbearable." Ladybug admitted, trying to see what little stars that they could see above them, trying to count them, but still not completely focused on that at all.

"I know." Cat Noir murmured, "But it still makes me want to lay down and relax." He grinned, and she wondered for once how he could both feel sweltering and want to relax in it.

"Really?" Ladybug stepped closer, not paying too much attention when her hand brushed against his clawed one.

"I tend to not get a lot of days like this." He smiled, "If work's going on, and it's this hot, we're rescheduled to work inside or it's delayed for a day or two though Father doesn't really like delaying them though the 'tone' isn't right inside. I usually don't get to go outside for more than a second or two on really hot days, and though it probably gets to me now more than it would have if I'd been able to, I like getting a chance to be in it."

For not the first time since they met and started working together, she really worried about her partner's life outside of the mask, "Is everything okay at home?"

"Yeah, sometimes it's tough." Cat Noir's eyes turned back to the Eiffel Tower, "But I do love my father."  
Ladybug's heart melted past the crack formed in it as she stepped closer and placed her hand on Cat Noir's arm despite the heat that still permeated the air. "I'm here for you."

Cat Noir smiled, "Want to make memories for all of those hot Summer nights that I never got to be outside for? We could talk about anything for a little while. I don't have any plans."

She smiled back at her partner and agreed, mostly out of a worry and a love for him, and so they spent that night, counting stars, laughing over absolutely terrible puns, and talking about stories and events endlessly that could not be connected to either one's civilian identity. She was absolutely positive that she loved him in some way though the words failed to appear before her over just how much she loved him or in exactly what way.


	25. Food

Cat Noir couldn't tell you exactly when it started, but one day, Ladybug started bringing little bags of goodies to patrol, sweet confections that she either had to have bought or made herself. Cat Noir could swear that they were divine, as sweet as could be for some, and yet savory at other parts. Somehow flavor exploded in each bite.

It started with a smile and a soft, tender look as if something was changing and yet it wasn't as exact or as wild as it might have seemed if this whole thing started in one day. These types of sweets were exactly the stuff that his father forbid him to eat; they could conflict too much with his model diet though Cat Noir figured he had the excuse of his father not knowing about his secret identity or nearly as many calories as that burned.

His lady gave him them to try, and how could he say no? Just, seeing that almost prideful look in her eyes when he complimented them or when he devoured them told him that may be she was the one to make them in fact.

It was filed under one of his many, other little things that he'd learned about his lady over all of the time since he'd met her. Every reason felt like another reason to fall in love with her, another hint of just who she is so completely, so Cat Noir would take every offered pastry with a grateful smile as his heart melted under love's force. None of it had been bad, and he felt like even if he'd had more sweets in his life, he'd still swear by them being the best tasting ones around.

May be one day, he'd feel like they were made with a love that never wavered, that never swayed, a love only enhanced by just how close they'd hopefully grow. His mind would blank on imagining her without her mask, imagining marriage, and all the sweets that she'd probably make as she seemed to enjoy baking every single one for him.

Hopefully, she'd teach him how to bake one day too, and he'd finally be able to return the favor.


	26. New Look

He should have expected it, given how long they'd been together, and the fact that she never wore her hair in pig tails anymore, just having not seen her as Ladybug in so long, had given him no warning whatsoever. Cat Noir had always thought that the spots looked amazing on her, even if she wore outfits inspired off her old suit rather then always transforming.

Her dark hair was pulled up into a loose seeming bun, and her suit was a little darker, slimmer along her sides, making her seem taller and thinner. "M'Lady, you look stunning." His green eyes found her dark blue ones; eyes that could melt his heart in just a look even after all these years.

"I do?" Ladybug shook her head, "Honey, I've had three kids since I last transformed, you sure?" The slightly sarcastic retort made him smile.

"I'm pawsitive." Cat Noir grinned.

"Don't you start with the puns, mister." She grumbled, but yet he could see the slight upturning of her lips, knew it well; she never could hide it from him after all this time. She may not laugh outright at his puns usually, but she still liked them well enough.

"You should check your suit out later. It's changed, M'lady." Cat Noir pointed out.

"It has? Well, you've lost the bell." She retorted, and he grinned. He'd miss that old bell, but then again, he didn't need it anymore to claim that he had a home to go back to. Cat Noir had three kids and a very beautiful wife, inside and out to go home to, no longer did he have a mostly empty mansion to return to.

"All I ever needed was you, Bugaboo." He grinned as he leaned by her side, "Ready to take on this crime that Paris managed to find yet again?"

"Always when you're here with me, Kitty." She smiled.


	27. Encouragement

It had started with a little encouragment that spread a sort of bravery that Marinette had never imagined even being capable of. She'd never expected to stand up to Akumas on a regular basis or that her partner would mean the world to her.

His encouragement left her heart eager to fly again, and she couldn't help her smile as she remembered that Cat Noir had begun to actually slip into her heart at first from encouragement though not romantically at the time. He became her best friend, her strength, and she never wanted to forget how much he'd come to mean to her, how much her world changed with his heartfelt and earnest words.

It seemed like they always changed her world in some way and somehow, some way, she just wanted to return the favor. Ladybug wanted to encourage her partner, touch his life in the exact way that he'd touched hers and still did.

Ladybug just wanted to let their love grow and let her partner keep going, never giving up, because she never wanted to let one of the most incredible men in her life to ever give up: the other man that she found just as incredible was her father.

"Cat Noir, I never tell you often enough." Her voice grew soft, "But you've been more to me than I'd ever realized that I needed." The words were difficult to say, but that didn't mean that they weren't real.

"M'lady?" He asked, "What brought this on?"

"I guess, I just thought that you needed some encouragement too." It was hard to say that she hadn't realized how very little she'd encouraged him before and how much she really should spend her time appreciating him.

"Really?" His eyes glowed with happiness despite the word that tumbled from his mouth. Ladybug's heart warmed at the sight.

"Yeah." She smiled, stepping closer, and giving him a gentle kiss on his cheek, just a little reminder that she did care so deeply for him though her words had probably conveyed that much at least.


	28. Baton

Ladybug couldn't imagine a day without her partner by her side, and she couldn't imagine him as being any different than he was. Cat Noir fought by her side with a baton, and there was a certain grace to his fighting style that Ladybug couldn't help but admire.

Her partner was strong and steady, quick with the baton, and always quick to be by her side. In a way, it seemed so interesting to see how his baton could expand or compress so easily with just a click of his fingers, and she'd came to understand just how it worked by pure observation.

Ladybug couldn't imagine a better partner in fighting crime than Cat Noir, and she kind of hoped that he felt the same way as she did towards her, but she could understand why he might not feel that way. Ladybug wouldn't pick herself for a partner; she'd pick Cat Noir any day over her own self, and if that wasn't an option, she'd pick Rena Rouge.

Cat Noir kept her strong when no one else could; Ladybug really doubted that there was a better partner in the world than Cat Noir. Even now, she'd realized that he'd become so much more than just a crime fighting partner of hers; he'd become something so much more.

He's her best friend and yet he's also the man that she'd fallen in love with through all of the time they've spent together, and so sitting together over top the baton that Cat Noir had as a weapon, she couldn't help but lean closer as they looked over Paris together in the quiet of the slowly darkening night sky.


	29. Race Through City

There may be a hint of chidlike glee and enthusiasm to it and yet they didn't care if they looked childish. Ladybug pushed herself, yoyo flinging out, grabbing a new hold, pulling her through in a steady swing, and sometimes she found herself focusing on staying on rooftops, running across them, and jumping through the air to land more solidly on another one.

Ladybug had one goal right now, and that is to beat her boyfriend all the way to the Eiffel Tower from all the way across the city of Paris. If she lost, she'd have to follow through with whatever be said and yet the playing field was much more even than Marinette playing Ultimate Mecha Strike against most people.

Finally her yoyo swept around the edge of the Eiffel Tower, and she swung towards the top as quickly as she could, pulling at her arm rather tightly from the swing, but when she righted herself overtop of the Eiffel Tower, Cat Noir was right beside her, having just collapsed his baton.

She shook her head; it was an obvious tie.

"That's even, M'lady." Cat Noir responded with gently.

"That it is." Ladybug smiled back at him as she leaned closer to kiss his lips and just relax next to him; yes, it was the same time when they reached the Eiffel Tower, but neither of them seemed to mind a tie anyway.

Ladybug couldn't help but smile against Cat Noir's lips; she couldn't be happier than letting a few moments be free with no hassle of trying to fight a supervillain and no hassle with schoolwork. She loved any moment that she could get with her boyfriend.


	30. Yoyo

Her yoyo had never seemed like much when she'd first transformed and yet here she stood, aware that with a swing or two, she could stop someone or defeat a villain. It made her feel powerful to be armed with a weapon that could take down a villain or two or three as long as she knew how to use it and then again, she wasn't unaware that sometimes, it almost seemed like her yoyo string had foretold her how close she'd become to Cat Noir, how she'd fall for him.

When they were entangled with her yoyo's string on the day that they met, neither of them expected to one day fall in love or to try to make it through everything together. Now, she doubted that even her yoyo could have told her that much as she placed her gloved hand in his, carefully not letting her fingers brush along his claws, careful not to poke herself.

Ladybug could barely believe how close they'd gotten over all this time as partners or how her heart now felt like it basically lived for Cat Noir. With a swing of the yoyo that often rested alongside her waist, she'd discovered a whole new life, true sacrifice, and a love so strong that nothing seemed able to hold them back from tackling the world together other than perhaps their identities that remained secret between them.

In a way, it was truly heartbreaking to discover a love so strong and only be able to have it half the time, and yet she loved him so much that she never could regret it. Cat Noir kept her strong with a baton swing like a rapier and a strength of will and a presence that would never leave her to fight alone.

Ladybug feels much stronger with her yoyo around her waist and with her partner by her side.


	31. Stars

If you ever saw how your eyes glimmered like the stars at night, you'd never be able to look away. If you ever realized how warm and loving every breath of yours seemed just because you're by my side, it would make you stop and wonder.

I know that it isn't much to say, not really, but with every passing day, my breath seems forever stolen by you, and I fall so much more in love with you. Every second is made more valuable when you're in it, and I don't even know anymore how I got to this point. I count every falling star as another chance to wish for so much more, to wish for a kind of love that grows every single day.

I don't think my friends would understand how I'd wish for that when it already seems true, when I feel my heart beat faster just for you, and yet it never feels enough. It's not enough compared to every single day where my love never ran true for you, and where your love could have just grown forever. Back then, I wonder if I truly saw you, but then again, I've come to know you so much more through heartfelt honesty and a rose of all things.

I've had time to fall in love with you, Cat Noir, even though I do regret with every falling star, having missed this somehow, missed just how much you really do care for me, and just how wonderful you've been to me. You're the balm that helps my insecurity become hidden from even me, and you're the steel that strengthens the metal that was once weak. Cat Noir, you are my strength, and it doesn't surprise me anymore that you've managed to steal my heart too somehow.

I love you so much, and yet my words don't seem to be enough to me as I was never all that great at them, usually fumbling my words when I thought that I understood love until you pointed out to me with a kind, selfless heart and some good, old fashioned bravery what it truly was. I'm nowhere near as good as you are at them, and even though I can imagine you telling me tonight if it was more than a solo patrol that you love me as much as there are stars in the sky; it's quite starry tonight and yet I'd never expected that.

I'm not brave enough to tell you face to face that I love you just as much as the stars that fill up the sky; you've always been braver than me.

Cat Noir, if I could tell you my heart whether under a sky like tonight's or under any sky, would you listen and hear the words and understand that I finally mean them? I can't count on too much when I know that my words used to be barbs straight to your heart and when I never really knew just how much I meant to you or just how much you'd slipped into my heart. I hope that you always stay right here with me even when I can't quite find the words to be as honest and upright with you as I should be able to.

I'll try to love you just as much as all the stars that litter the sky tonight, every last one of them sparkles and reminds me of you. I love you, and I just hope that one day that will seem like a sure and steady thing as I wouldn't have trusted my love if I'd been in your boots and yet I know that this love is like nothing else. I hope that I never forget this feeling. standing and running under starry skies with a single man on my mind.


	32. Catch Or Fall

You would think that she'd want a stronghold, something to grasp onto to avoid falling even more in love with him, but Ladybug didn't want to stop falling. She already was so in love with him.

With every day though, the pinprick of a thought would appear inside her head of what it must have felt like to be in his shoes, to be so giving and get next to nothing or too commonly to get nothing, and how his feelings must have gripped him and yet he never felt the need to snip the edges off and move on. A part of her heart broke at the thought that she'd never realized what a catch his heart was or how she should have reached out and wrapped it up tenderly to keep it safe much, much sooner.

His heart was so much more than just a prize; it was everything in its own little way. Cat Noir's heart from what she'd seen and heard, from what he told her, was so often without a home nowadays. He used to put all of his faith into his parents and his only friend, and now, it felt like he'd been dried up like a sponge left out overnight in a very dry, humid room: all dried up now and unsure if it will ever be the same again.

Ladybug couldn't imagine the pain, the hope and trust in others, only to have it constantly rejected and put down again. She just hoped that she'd provide what little of a home that she could for it.

He'd caught her after all; she felt far safer in his arms than she did ever by herself. Ladybug trusts him to catch her everytime that she goes to fall and yet trusts herself just enough to work her hardest at remaining faithful to this. She'd never cheat on him, but being faithful was more than just avoiding being a cheater, it was loving and remaining strong for his sake even when she feels like she isn't anywhere near enough to keep him going strong, to keep him steady in his boots.

Ladybug isn't afraid of the fall if her boyfriend's by her side to catch her and if her heart will always continue falling for him. She'd have it no other way now, not as love blooms in her heart and grows stronger by the day.


	33. Rooftop Date

During chaoticness and general busyness, they always found time to be together like this. Every once in a while, at least once a month, they'd managed to set up time for more of a date rather than just whatever it turned into.

With the third Saturday of the month rolling around fast, Ladybug was quick to get ready though with the suit, it wasn't like there was much left to do. She had decided to pile her hair up on top of her head in a bun for the occasion though it really didn't make too much of a difference, but it was the little things that counted and added up into a bigger, fuller picture.

Ladybug quickly checked and rechecked that she had everything that she planned to take for their date; Cat Noir was in charge of setting up the date on the rooftop that they'd picked earlier that week during patrol, and Ladybug was in charge of food and sweets which since she'd first fed Cat Noir a treat or two, he'd started asking her if she'd make them more often until it became a regular thing.

Ladybug didn't mind though since she adored whenever Cat Noir designed the date, itself, since that very first surprise, and she never could have wanted it any other way. She smiled as she carefully packed the basket of food, basket to keep it safe while she leapt across rootops anyway.

When she finally arrived, her breath still managed to catch as she looked upon what had to be hundreds of lights lining the rooftop and the black table and chairs that Cat Noir had to have brought over the night before during his solo patrol. She'd been busy working on a design all day yesterday to make sure that she still had time to go out with her boyfriend today, and so he'd had to patrol yesterday by himself though she'd made sure to let him know a few days before to not worry him.

'Yeah, it's fine if you have something to do Friday, see you Saturday.' She smiled at the reminder and at how normal and commonplace this was all started to seem. It was like she'd let Cat Noir mold a little place in her heart for himself and didn't mind however long he decided to stay there.

"Evening, M'Lady." Cat Noir greeted her with a flourish and a bit of a bow.

"Evening." She greeted back as if it were normal, "I got the food."  
"I can't wait to try your homemade sweets." Cat Noir murmured, "What'd you bring?"

"Something new as usual." She smiled, "You'll see in a bit." Ladybug loved these moments even though sometimes it seemed as if his highlight of the date was whatever she'd made him though she knew without even a second's doubt that he looked forward to seeing her most of all.

"I have no idea how you manage to find time to spoil me, Bugaboo." His voice went all soft as did the expression in his eyes and Ladybug had to remind her belly that now wasn't the time to get giddy in excited nerves.

"All in a day's work." Ladybug told him with a confident grin though sometimes she doubted exactly how she'd managed to pull through though she'd spend basically all morning in the kitchen, immensely grateful that when her alarm didn't wake her up since she'd went to bed so late the night before that her Kwami did instead.

"You're still the most pawsitively incredible person that I know." Cat Noir sounded so honest that despite the pun, Ladybug was more than half positive that her heart had melted inside her chest.

"Th-Thank you. You too." It wasn't hard for her to think the same about him. She was just thankful that when they started growing up and dates got few and far between due to all of busyness that he hadn't ditched her, that he'd stayed to see it through. Ladybug felt like she didn't deserve this incredible love that her partner in fighting crime poured out for her and yet he still gave it to her and found something admirable in her every single day. She just wished that she was the same.

"No problem, M'lady." He smiled and though he didn't say it outloud, she could see the 'thank you' written all over his face from the touched smile on his lips, just high enough to barely count as a smile, sort of as if it was a humble one, and the sparkle in his eyes, so bright, happy, and hopeful. Ladybug was positive that if it wasn't his words that made her melt more than half the time, it was this, these quiet moments when it's apparent that they know each other more than anybody else.

"I love you." And though it's soft, before she takes a seat and unloads the basket, the way his eyes find her and the way that tears fill the corners up, she knows that he's heard her and feels it as if it were her first time saying so even though they've both said it so often before.

"I love you too." And it's the way that he says it that makes her tear up, honest and raw from a deep part of his heart, and even though she's packed food, and he's set up a table and chairs and some lights, she wouldn't mind if their date became a cuddle and kissing session instead.

All that she wants is for this honesty that can break her even with how often it does come about, to last forever. The honesty touched her more than perhaps any of their other rooftop dates have.


	34. Masks

A mask could hide so much. In a way, it cased up an identity right behind it, and Ladybug couldn't help but be curious. What was her boyfriend like when the mask came off? In a way, he was still himself; a mask didn't hide everything.

Was he nervous where the mask became an extra layer of confidence for himself like hers was? She somehow doubted it, but glancing up and seeing bright green, cat eyes passed a black mask had become second nature.

He let her fingers run across the mask, following its curves, whenever her mind wandered far away and whenever she couldn't help but imagine what he must have been like outside of his mask. Cat Noir quietly and patiently let her trace the edges and lines of his mask, and she was so glad that he didn't seem to mind so much.

Cat Noir was probably quieter, sort of like she was, outside of the masks as if they gained extra noise and confidence with the masks on.

Ladybug idly traced her partner's mask, "One day." She murmured; one day that mask won't keep them apart.

"One day, it won't, M'lady." She'd be more surprised that he managed to basically read her mind if it wasn't so commonplace for them now. They knew each other perhaps better than they'd ever known anyone; he was her best friend and now her boyfriend too. She couldn't be happier with that turn of events until finally the masks wouldn't separate them anymore.


	35. Kiss

Once was never enough; no matter what people may tell you. The first time, it was to break a curse, and yet she'd never expected then to fall so head over heels for her partner in fighting crime.

True Love's Kiss breaks the Fairy Tale Curse, and with that, Ladybug's mind now knew the truth. In a way, it was absolutely true, and she'd never expected to ever find it as more than just a moment of sacrifice for her best friend: not much of a sacrifice all things considered, and now, all that she could do was lean close and savor every single one like it was the last one that she'd get.

Her eyes fluttered closed as gloved hands searched and found his, carefully intertwining without much of a thought anymore about it around his, and suddenly, she found herself clinging much tighter to his hands as if the gentle pressure against her lips wasn't anywhere near enough. Her breath caught when his tongue brushed along her bottom lip as if it had never happened before and yet she leaned closer, pressing feather tight against him.

Pure warmth flowed from her toes up as her fingers squeezed tightly in his own, lost to something all warm and all curious and all loving. Just, something about being this close to him, feeling his heartbeat against her chest, reminded her that he loved her so much and left her feeling like floating. One kiss was never enough as he finally pulled away, and they, both, took much needed breaths of air.

'I love you,' clung to every kiss, both familiar, and exotically new, and suddenly, she felt almost dizzy under the rush and yet it wasn't the kind of dizzy that made her want to pull away from the second or third kiss, just made her want to stay as her toes curled up and as her mind wandered to touch.

There was something so intimate about holding hands during their kisses, about clinging to each other without the urgency or speed of a hot and heavy kiss, like a quiet, steady, little reminder that they'd be there for each other and that they had all the time in the world to be together. There was no need to rush when she was absolutely positive that their love ran so strong for one another that they'd never let it go or force a harsh goodbye on the other.

Lips pressed close, fingers intertwined, and hearts colliding in fast tempos became everything for as long as they could stretch it out, as long as they can press close and forget the world around them for a while. Paris may carry on from one activity or commotion to the next, but they didn't have to carry on with that abrupt, fast pace, not when all that they wanted was a few more stolen moments together, a little longer to feel one kiss blend into two, into three, into four, as the world around them vanished with every stolen moment together.


	36. Confined Or Trapped

A memory danced behind her closed eyelids as she fought against another trembling shiver. It felt almost secondhand to remember that so long ago before her boyfriend was her boyfriend that he'd been trapped in a freezer, running the risk of his identity being exposed to her.

Ladybug had it about here with either of them being locked in a freezer as she moved to stand, trying to ignore the steady ticking down of her Miraculous and trying to focus on breathing even and steady and the sounds of the fight right outside the freezer. She could just imagine that Hawkmoth was having a field day with his latest Akuma, an angered anime fan that for some reason or another thought that his family and the world was against him, who may have been a bit more violent than either Ladybug or Cat Noir were prepared to fight against today.

Today was supposed to be a relaxing evening for the two of them, huddling close on the Eiffel Tower, and being lost in just being with each other, hands entwined, pressed close, and sometimes kissing. It was supposed to be a quiet moment that dragged on and on and became something altogether relaxing, something to remember in strings of memories, days lost in a blur of similar ones.

On that note, Ladybug really, really needed to focus though she'd already used her Lucky Charm, and her mind despite running miles upon miles a minute, wasn't really giving her a solution to her problem. All that she could focus on was the cold and the fact that her boyfriend was working hard to even stun the violent Akuma outside, so that he can free her.

"Tikki, just don't transform." She murmured as she shivered violently yet again and ran her gloved hands up and down her arms to try to warm her up and calm her down. Ladybugs weren't known for handling cold particularly well, "Come on, Kitty, just a little longer." A little longer until hopefully the Akuma was out of the way long enough to free her from the confines of the freezer.

"M'lady, he's away for the moment." Cat Noir was quick to assure her before she heard his signature move, "Cataclysm."  
All that she felt for a moment was relief as she literally dropped into her arms, eager for the warmth haven that they'd always supplied for her.

"Sorry about that." He apologized as he ran gloved hands up and down her arms to help warm her up, "I should have gotten him away quicker. Do you need me to grab your Kwami something to eat since I don't think she likes Camembert?"

"S-Sure, cookies. Just stay a little longer though, you're warm." His face went delightfully red though she couldn't really admire it all that well while she was still trying to warm her freezing body up.

"Alright. I'll leave before you detransform and get you some cookies. Just let me know if I can look or not." He murmured as he sat down and pulled her closer, trying to hold her close to make her at least a little bit warmer.

"I will. Thank you." She murmured, "How did I wind up with the most trustworthy and loyal partner in the world?"

"I've gotten better. I'm not pawsitively the best though." He smiled as he threaded a stray claw through her hair as she snuggled closer.

"I find it hard to believe that you aren't the best." She muttered sleepily, "I don't fall in love with just anyone you know."

"I feel honored that I've even received that much from you." He snuggled closer, and no matter how long this Akuma battle dragged on, she was just thankful to have the best partner ever to help her get past it.


	37. Trust

Trust didn't come easily as a superhero and yet it was unwavering between the two of them. If she really did need someone to show up and save her, she knew that it would be her partner without a doubt.

When they were trapped and needed to detransform, she trusted him to keep his eyes closed just as she trusted herself to as well. Cat Noir had never let her down, and while it may have started off a little rocky, things had gotten better in time.

With every fight, Ladybug came to trust Cat Noir more; with every patrol, she learned to know him better than herself. It was hard to not trust someone when they've been by your side since the beginning and had never let you down. There were moments where things wavered and yet trust in each other pulled them through.

Throughout everything she'd trust him, and somehow over the many months and now the years since they'd met, her trust of her partner just grew. One day, very soon, she'll trust him with her biggest secret ever, and she knew that that trust would never be wasted on him.

Cat Noir would always be by her side through thick and thin, through good and bad, through everything. She trusted him, because how could she not when he'd saved her life so many times, risking his own in the process? He loved her so much and put so much faith and trust in her that she could never doubt his unwavering trust, and she knew better than to doubt her own in him.

Cat Noir earned her trust more and more through every Akuma battle, through every struggle, through every moment where their identities were risked or compromised and yet he'd never let her down. Ladybug knew, with her hand locked around his, that she could trust him with the world and more.


	38. Protector

Sometimes it's easy to rely on something seemingly foolproof or to rely on something that isn't human, something that it's easier to throw all your trust on, because it's supposed to always work, and yet that wasn't what she relied on. Her suit, she trusted Tikki's magic to keep her safe with, but what she trusted most of all, the one thing that came through for her no matter what, was her true protector beyond whatever she would have expected on day one was Cat Noir.

He'd risk his life for her time and time again, throwing himself into the fray and taking hits meant for her, and he'd work hard to help her get away from an attack that he knew that she wouldn't have had time to dodge by herself. It's never been about his life or his wellbeing in his eyes when he jumps into the fray. It's always for her.

Cat Noir would tell her that it was because she was the only one to purify the Akuma and yet Ladybug knew that it went deeper than that. She knew one day when he'd admitted that he'd probably always have feelings for her and that friendship was fine whether it lasted forever or not. She knew by a rose and a kiss.

Ladybug hadn't always realized exactly how deep her partner's feelings ran for her, but since she'd realized, she'd come to think that she must just be out of it to not realize it. He sacrificed himself for her time and time again, and yet through every sacrifice, every ounce of trust, through every last bit of encouragement, through everything, he only loved her more and still would willingly sacrifice himself all over again for her safety.

Ladybug could not doubt how true his love ran for her, and she just hoped that since she'd finally fallen for him that her love became apparent, became true to him, as much as it could be.

* * *

Cat Noir wasn't sure whether it was by a yoyo string pulled tight to save his life or if it was by just all that she was, but she was his protector through and through. Ladybug worried over him, rushed to his side now if he was hurting, and by her loving support helped him get better.

Without Ladybug, he wouldn't even be half of the cat that he is today or rather half of the superhero that he is today. Ladybug keeps him going strong when he barely feels alive, and she's literally saved his life dozens upon dozens of times.

She's as much of his protector as he tries to be for her, as willing to save him as he is to her. He's always sort of known that she loves him and yet it wasn't necessarily a romantic love that he'd always known for her to have for him, just a strong love.

Now, when it's proved romantic, it feels a little different to see her throw herself towards him to help him dodge an attack that an Akuma sent his way or when her yoyo string wraps around his waist and saves his life or when she somehow manages to say just the words that he needed to hear as if she could read his mind.

It took ages to get to this point, to truly know each other even half as well as they do, and yet he'd never doubt that she'd be by his side, always defending him and protecting him. As much as Cat Noir is Ladybug's protector, she is his own protector; their love is as equal as it can be, forged by every Akuma battle, every moment of truly trusting the other even when others might not.

Cat Noir trusts Ladybug with his life, because she's always protected it before and he has no reason to doubt her protection, to doubt her loyalty, and to doubt her trust.


	39. Sacrifice

You would think that as superheroes, sacrifice would become much easier to handle with how often they'd sacrifice themselves for each other and yet every time that she saw her partner rush into battle, every time that he took a blow or attack meant for her, her heart gave a painful lurch in her stomach. Every single time without fail, it hurt, it hurt so bad, and she couldn't imagine why she let herself feel this pain.

It never got easier, not when Dark Cupid's arrow hit him, or when Timebreaker nearly killed Cat Noir, kept him from her future, not when he vanished in her arms, and surely not now when she couldn't really see the Akuma anymore past the pain and the anger and the frustration. They sacrificed a lot for each other, time to get to know each other, much needed sleep by instead fighting an Akuma or having a long, longer than usual, patrol over Paris, but this sacrifice always hurt more than squeezing in time and losing sleep to be with her partner.

"Cat Noir!" She shouted, voice nearly going hoarse before she could get the entirety of his name out of her mouth, and she found herself rushing towards him, half ready to berate him for sacrificing himself for her yet again, because a distant part of her had already acknowledged that he was fine, but her fear and worry and anxiety didn't really listen to logic, no matter how often this happened. "Are you hurt?" Finally left her lips, whisper soft, and she didn't mind that her anger took a back seat before it would become her steady reaction again.

"N-No, nothing this cat can't handle." He righted himself, and yet she could see how he favored one side even just standing in front of her as he was, "I'd rather it be me than you though." That honesty struck a chord somewhere deep down inside of her.

"J-Just, don't do that to me." Her voice was still too, too soft as she worked on really raising it and bringing her anger back around; he had to know just how much that hurt her, "I'd rather take the blow. I'm not as fragile as I'd seem. I have a magical suit too, and I need to protect you too. I-I couldn't lose you." Her anger felt like a balloon bursting in sudden noise before it finally died down to a weaker sounding tone that felt far, far more honest than she really wanted to deal with right now.

"Ladybug, Bugaboo, it will be okay. Paris needs Ladybug. I need you too, and I can handle any blow that comes my way. Trust me." It still hurt her heart even now to hear him say those words, but she knew that he mainly saved her out of a love for her and that that last bit of logic was mostly thrown in to stop her from arguing.

"Kitty, you scared me." Honesty poured out of her like rain and yet her partner held her close, pretending that his leg or side or whatever wasn't bothering him anymore to hold her just right.

"I know. I'm sorry about scaring you." He was careful with his words, "I trust you to make it all better, and I hope that you'd trust me to stay strong."

"I've always trusted you." She murmured, and it really was true since his first words of encouragement, since he made her stronger, and since he always had her back. Ladybug hated the kind of words that he'd typed up in it though. She probably always would; being a superhero wasn't necessarily easy work after all.


	40. Common Interests

Ladybug would probably wonder for days how they'd gotten on to this conversation, but she'd still be glad that they'd had it.

"So do you play video games sometimes, M'lady?" He asked her with that green glint to his eyes that just told her that he was curious. She wondered briefly if he was asking just because he did.

"I do sometimes." She smiled, "I've been playing Ultimate Mecha Strike with my dad since I was little."

"You have?" Cat Noir seemed giddy at the thought, "I love Ultimate Mecha Strike. Have you played Three yet? It's my favorite right now."

"Yeah, I have." Ladybug smiled, "It's one of my favorites too."  
Cat Noir's wide grin as he faced her now brought a matching smile to her own face.

"That's awesome. We'll have to play sometime after Hawkmoth's been defeated." He looked disappointed, and she had the strongest urge to pull him close and the desperate wish that Ultimate Mecha Strike had released games on mobile versions even though it likely never would.

"You've mentioned that you were a model before. How do you feel about fashion?" Ladybug shifted the topic as quickly as she could. She hated seeing that look of disappointment flash across his face especially since she'd been the one to cause it.

"It's alright." Cat Noir admitted, "I know a little about it, but nothing too major. I just wear the clothes." He shrugged as if there wasn't much more that he could say on this topic in particular.

"I'm a designer." Ladybug smiled, "I want to be a fashion designer one day as a career."

"That's cool. I can model your clothes for you. I have a feline that I'll love your designs." Cat Noir looked so happy as he moved closer to her that she couldn't help but imagine what that would be like if they did live it out that way. Cat Noir, whoeever he was behind the mask, modeling her clothes, finding time between frantic schedules to go on dates, dating and eventually marrying a model that wasn't Adrien. It felt like every unrealized dream of her own, the idea of one day being with her boyfriend without a mask that separated them.

"They'd look good on you, not all of them, but I think a lot of my men's fashion pieces would look good on you." Her eyes found her boyfriend and through what she could see through the dark night by the moonlight, she tried to assess what might look good on him, what size clothes 'might' fit him.

Ladybug wouldn't want to put anything too 'soft' in style on him. It was half the struggle to imagine him wearing something other than his suit.

"Thanks." Cat Noir smiled, "I hope that it won't be long until Hawkmoth's defeated and that we could date outside of the suits regardless of who we are." His clawed fingers intertwined with hers, and she couldn't help how her mind wandered down paths of what their possible futures could be.

Ladybug just hoped that at least one of them would come true as she leaned closer and pressed a chaste kiss to her boyfriend's cheek, "I love you." It was the closest thing that she could say to speak up with what was on her mind.

"I love you too, M'lady." There was something so soft spoken about one of his favorite petnames for her that made her insides melt and made her lean closer. All that she wanted one day was this man in her life, somewhere, somehow.


	41. Quarrel

"You could have gotten seriously hurt!" Ladybug couldn't stop herself from nearly shouting at him, "You could have died!"

"Ladybug, don't worry about it. I'm fine." Cat Noir tried to be quick to reassure her, trying to get her to finally calm down and lose that red hot temper of hers that refused to fade.

"What if one day you're not?" She could help but imagine what that would be like, to watch her boyfriend die by the hands of the Akuma of the week, and she hated the twist in her gut and the nausea that seemed determined to build up. It worried her sick.

"I'll be fine. I know my limits." Cat Noir told her as if it was something much simpler than Ladybug had ever expected, like two plus two always equaled four. It wasn't though.

"Cat Noir, you've already died once before, and even though there was a weird mess up of time, and you're still lucky to be alive now. This time or the next time won't be like that." Ladybug's stomach dropped down to her toes at the thought. One day, her kitty might die protecting her like a knight in shining armor, and yet she'd be left alone to pick up all the pieces and try to patch up her heart like he hadn't once claimed it as his own.

"Ladybug, I'm not that stupid, and I'd rather die than deal with you dying." The images probably haunted him at night sometimes too, but just the empathy that hit her chest wasn't enough to hold her back from all of this.

"Don't you think that I feel the same?" She shouted, letting her voice raise up louder than it really should have gone, "And that is stupid. There's no Ladybug without her Cat Noir, and I'd be nothing without you!"

"M'lady, you're more of the superhero out of the two of us." Cat Noir had the gall to claim when Ladybug felt just so, so angry; he shouldn't be allowed to try to make all these sacrifices for her.

"That isn't even close to the truth." She bit out, anger boiling so soundly beneath the surface that she felt it almost like goosebumps, just under her skin, bouncing, alert, almost eager for the fight, "We're partners. Cat Noir is half the superhero team, and honestly," Her voice finally dropped lower, "I wouldn't be the superhero that I am today without you by my side."

"Ladybug, you've always been my strength, to see you growing day by day, to feel that same determination. Don't ever put yourself down like that." With his gentle presence and every step closer to her, she knew that the argument must have ended.

"You can't put yourself down either." She felt miserable, trying to keep everything together, trying to patch all of this up as if it were an easy fix. Dating your superhero partner did not make things easy in the least; those same old fears and insecurities suddenly became much worse. 'What if I failed? What if he died?' It hurt often too much to think about and all that Ladybug wished for was to be able to pull him close and never have to worry about this again though it likely wouldn't ever happen.

Paris came first, and that sometimes scared Ladybug half to death. Cat Noir meant everything to her though that wasn't always easy to say when she could lose him so quickly for the sake of Paris living on, continuing on, breathing on.


	42. Cuddles

In the quiet moments when the sky was dark, dark enough that Cat Noir's night vision kicked in, and dark enough that Ladybug really couldn't see, and when they found themselves just trying to live in the moment with a blanket of darkness around them, kissing quieted and stilled as they huddled close, as close as moments before when their lips were interlocked. Her head nestled in right underneath Cat Noir's chin, the perfect place to listen to his rapidly beating heart settle down a little bit and yet never slow enough that she's unaware of the effect that she has on his heart.

Ladybug could lay all night like this and likely would if she never had any real responsibilities outside of the mask, and though she couldn't stay here all night, she'd try to savor every last minute by his side. It felt so warm and safe with a clawed hand looped around her waist, and a boot clad foot wrapped around her own.

Cat Noir could probably apply for the cuddliest cat record for the world, but Ladybug hated the idea of someone else cuddling with him, so she'd be content to keep that a secret. Sometimes when his mind wanders, his hand will go up and down her side as if he really were petting a cat. It was soothing though it always prickled her curiosity; what was he thinking in those moments?

It actually managed to make her wonder if they should get a cat if all things went well and Hawkmoth could no longer terrorize the city of Paris and if she'd really hear the wedding bells toll like she sometimes really wanted them too. It would be a dream to have this way more often, to stay close, close enough to listen to his heartbeat and feel so, so warm and content.

She never wanted to leave his arms. It was harder when the night grew long, and she had to leave than it was to leave her bed in the morning. Cat Noir's embrace could keep her steady and warmer than any bed ever could.

Ladybug couldn't fight her yawn and yet it didn't matter much as she snuggled closer, half forgetting where her leg ended and where his began. She'd cherish every moment close, and even if she fell asleep she wouldn't mind too much.


	43. Pain

It was times like these that she really regretted not knowing, watching when they pulled apart from each other, and witnessing the pain and the curiosity in his eyes. It wasn't the kissing that caused it; it was never the kissing, not really.

Her eyes found how just downtrodden his green ones appeared, and she shook her head to clear it, letting him take that as a symbol of 'not now,' as if it was all that she meant. Ladybug's heart contracted and twisted in her chest, aching, aching, aching while it burned with curiosity.

It would be another night of goodbyes, of hugs that always squeezed too tight as if they could truly keep the other there, of sometimes goodbye kisses that burned just as much as their eyes did with tears that they barely held back. No one said a word; they didn't have to.

Just a look revealed so much, just a glance told the world, and she knew the expressions on her partner's face often times better than her own. Ladybug could feel it, almost felt it in the air when they met up, and whether it was left over thoughts, feelings, anxieties, worries, and whatever else from their Akuma fight this afternoon or whether it was just a mutual worry that they happened to share today.

It wasn't the first time that they felt as divided as if they lived on two different islands on two different sides of the world. It probably wouldn't be the last either.

Ladybug was never sure what to say during these moments anymore, not that she ever felt perfectly sure. She'd infirmed him of how important their secret identities were, how they should be kept secret, and the whole nine yards. Now though, she felt about as lost as you could be.

Ladybug loved him and going home by herself without a date in place, without even finding time to hang out during a short lunch break provided that he was free when she was, hurt. It wasn't that she was convinced that everything would be much easier if they had an identity reveal, because it really wouldn't, but she wanted those moments, his everything in a way, his every day moments.

She wanted to know whether he felt nearly as exhausted as she did in the morning, if he took to drinking coffee while working on university work lately, or if he found it easier to just wake up in high spirits. What was he like when they weren't transformed anyway?

They were the kinds of thoughts that bugged her throughout the day. Adrien sending a meme every once in a while on their group chat that Alya had set up years ago and that Nino kept active only made her wonder if Cat Noir knew that particular one, what did like to do when he wasn't a superhero with attached responsibilities.

It hurt to feel divided from him when couples were supposed to be so much closer and yet their masks, their identities, kept them further and further apart than she'd ever wanted them to. It was like having your dream, your dream love, your dream life, and only being allowed to have it half the time or less.

Ladybug wasn't a fan of this pendulum swing of emotion; she'd rather it just be easier, but nothing was easier when you were dating your superhero partner and didn't know his civilian identity. Sometimes she even half convinced herself that this was the time to reveal their identities, but yet the words never came. It was like she became mute when she really wanted to be able to speak.

She wasn't entirely sure anymore whether it was the threat that Hawkmoth posed that kept her back from it or her own pressing insecurities or some wild fear of the unknown, of what it could bring forth in their lives, and just how they'd balance it all out. Did she know him outside of the mask? Would it confuse their family and friends to suddenly start dating or had they never met outside of the suit before and everyone thinks it's love at first sight from a random chance encounter of a meeting? She wasn't sure where they'd even be tomorrow, if they told each other everything, so secrets remained and sometimes their relationship struggled all the more for it.

It hurt more than every physical wound that she'd taken on as Ladybug since the beginning added together, and it definitely hurt more than her old fears and almost heartbreak over Adrien Agreste. Cat Noir was such a big part of her life, a bigger part than perhaps anyone ever was, and she couldn't imagine past blinding, tearing pain in her heart what all of that falling apart would feel or look like.

She never wanted to lose this, and yet change made her feel like she would or even indecision, never changing. They can't always just be Ladybug and Cat Noir, and yet they couldn't just change things and not have some repercussions from it.

Hawkmoth still sometimes sent out disastrious Akuma that took over their minds and while Ladybug wasn't sure if Hawkmoth could Akumatize them anymore, she didn't want to risk that either. It felt a lot like taking a gamble that she wasn't sure would go very well. Ladybug felt the intense desire to protect her kitty even though she knew that he could fend for himself, and she also wanted to protect her family and friends.

Everything was a mess as far as identities were concerned, and Ladybug couldn't lose this. She wasn't sure that she could bear with the loss.

It hurt so much to leave with weak goodbyes, half unsure when they'd see each other again, just knowing that they will eventually cross paths again even if it's a few moments here or if it takes them a while to manage to find time in their busy lives or if an Akuma disrupts them.

In that way, Ladybug found herself looking forward to Akumas as if they were spontaneous moments to spend with her boyfriend. Everything was a mess, she was sure, as she finally stepped away, wishing a tearful good night, barely keeping her tears from falling down her face.

His answering good night felt a lot like heartbreak though neither of them could bear with it if they broke up. Just sometimes Ladybug wished that their relationship was normal, so that they'd never have to deal with this kind of relationship pain, this kind of burning curiosity, worry, and everything in between.


	44. Tail

There was just something so lifelike, so fascinating, about his tail like this. Ladybug couldn't help that when she pulled away, she caught sight of his tail curled into a little heart or the fact that it nearly melted her heart.

Cat Noir's belt tail nearly had a mind of its own as often it reacted without his control, just like somehow in the suit, he became somewhat more like an actual cat: a quality that shouldn't be cute, but was somehow absolutely adorable.

She'd catch it sometimes swinging side to side when he was playful or drooping when he was sad, and she had no idea when she'd first started noticing. Just one day, she'd looked over and couldn't help but start learning what each sway or curl of the tail meant, what it did when he was stunned and so affectionate or what it did when he was happy or sad or angry.

It was another outlet of his, and she was just so glad as with everyday that she learned more about him that he had some kind of outlet in the suit. She'd try her best to always learn to listen better to him after he'd told her once that he didn't get much affection at home.

Ladybug smiled as she stared up at him, "Do you want another cheek kiss, Kitty?" It wasn't much, but every moment, making sure that her boyfriend was happy meant the world.

"Are you sure?" His green eyes could melt hearts of stone or even hearts of ice as she leaned closer and gave him another one. His kitty eyes were unbelievably adorable, but most importantly, she wanted to make him feel loved for every single day and every single moment that he made her feel loved. It was the least that she could do.

"Always, Kitty." She smiled up at him, "You're my boyfriend and my best friend."

When his clawed hand gently brushed against her cheek, she read the silent 'thank you' in his eyes as he dipped down and kissed her lips, softly, tenderly, treating her like it was their first kiss. His tail curled around her, and she was positive that her smile was so wide that it could rival the sun's bright beam.

When every kiss held a world of emotion, Ladybug would savor them all for she loved the man kissing her so much more than she ever would have realized even just a few years ago or a few months back. Every kiss meant so much for the man kissing her was her partner in all that the world may throw at them from secret identities to finding time to be together to balancing very conflicting schedules and careers. Every sacrifice was made more worth it by the man that it was for, the man that's cat like belt tail was currently wrapped around her and holding her close.


	45. Rescue

He was there for her in a way that she doubted that he knew. In a way, he'd rescued on that second day, and he'd rescued her again and again. Sometimes, it was just like that, in a way that he might not always realize and yet sometimes it's like this.

Pushing aside an enemy's attack, standing guard with his baton held tight in his hands, brave, strong, and loving. She'd never felt any reason to doubt that he'd rescue her with kind words, an offered hand, protection in a fight, or whatever she needed pulled away from.

Cat Noir was just like that for her, had probably always been even before she'd realized it. He's sacrificial like that, and she can't help her smile as they fight the Akuma and finally purify it, as exhaustion seeps in like a long awaited feeling even as they chant, 'Pound it,' fists bumping, and another Akuma fight has gone and ended well or well enough.

She smiles as she quickly stands on her tiptoes to give him a gentle and soft kiss to his cheek, a silent thank you that she only brings to his attention when the words tumble from her lips a moment later.

"It was nothing." He smiled, and though she understood that since it was just stepping in, making sure that she wasn't hurt and yet stepping in well enough that he wasn't either, and that she'd do the same, she still felt grateful.

"Thank you anyway." She smiled even as she heard their timers beep, and even as they parted ways though they'd see each other soon enough. They couldn't quite help that, not when they loved seeing each other as much as they did.

* * *

Ladybug was his hero, no matter how cliche that sounded. No matter how long, Cat Noir was a hero, he'd always think that. She rescued him in her own way, sometimes through her words or her actions or her bravery even when she'd felt so scared and insecure before. Sometimes, it was even through moments like this as he felt a yoyo loop around his waist and as he was pulled away back to safety.

"Thank you, M'lady." He smiled at her, and every ounce of meaning that could be possible from his gratitude was held within those simple words.

"It was nothing. You'd do the same thing for me." She shrugged, and while it was true, it didn't feel like nearly enough.

"But thank you anyway." He smiled as he pulled his mind back into focus; there was still an Akuma to face off against, and he smiled as he felt her hand reach out for his and squeeze it, almost like a silent 'you're welcome.'

At the end of the day, perhaps they saved each other in ways that they weren't quite sure that they could find the words for whether it's through a tumble from a quick dive to help the other avoid a disastrious blow from an Akuma or through their words, their actions, or even their hearts.

There was just something about the other that helped them become stronger, helped them keep going as superheroes and as partners, and they couldn't be more grateful than now that they had each other though other moments may one day make them even more grateful than they'd ever expected to be.


	46. Love Letter

It wasn't the first one that she'd written, and it likely wouldn't be the last. Ladybug's fingers gently traced out the words on the page and though it wasn't much and shortly wasn't enough to hold her whole heart and soul within it, it would be enough for now.

Ladybug smiled as she carefully signed her signature, making sure not to leave it out, and also making sure not to sign as her civilian self. That could wait another day.

'Dear Cat Noir,

I wanted to write you something and though it really isn't much and though I wasn't sure what to say, I love you. I look forward to every patrol of ours even though patrols were supposed to be serious, and I can't believe that we're celebrating another month together. Every day is unbelievable. I'm still not entirely sure how we got here, but I couldn't be happier that you're my boyfriend than now. I love you. Every month feels like a blessing especially when earlier that same month, you risked your life for me or an Akuma got particularly nasty. I love you, and though I don't say it nearly enough, I mean it so much. I can't believe that we somehow ended up here, and though I never expected it when we first met, I'm so happy that we ended up together.

With all of my heart,

Ladybug.'

Her name rested beside her signature of a ladybug, and she couldn't believe that she'd finally written it though her heart still felt a little full of love for Cat Noir, and she wasn't entirely sure if it all sounded decent together.

Ladybug was both so excited to give it to her boyfriend and celebrate another month together. She wasn't entirely sure when once a month dates once life got busier became times to celebrate another small while together, but she loved them anyway.

Cat Noir had given her the first love letter quite a few months back that started this tradition off, and she was just so close to actually framing it. She'd only held back from framing it and putting it up on her wall for her identity's sake otherwise, she'd have it out, so that she could read and reread it all throughout the day.

During quiet or idle moments, she still found herself pulling it out of the drawer and reading it over as if she hadn't already memorized every last word of it. Every time she read it, it still made her heart flutter.

She just hoped that her love letter and any of the previous ones that she'd written made Cat Noir even feel half as loved as he made her feel. Ladybug loved her boyfriend more than anything that she'd ever expect, and she knew that feeling was mutual. One day, she'd get to help make that more official than it was even now.

Right now though, identities were to be secret and dates only happened at least once a month. They stole time to cuddle or to kiss or to just talk whenever they could though.

They would be fine though one day, Ladybug hoped for way more than fine, she hoped for a future all their own to carve out and a life that was even closer than what they had now. A little bit of a wait wasn't much in the long run, and every day by his side just made her happier and happier.


	47. Touch

Touch was familiar, was ordinary for them, and had always been; they'd always been so affectionate and close that even before they were dating, most people just assumed that they were. It didn't feel quite the way it used to though in the way it sort of did.

From where his arm looped around her waist and held her close, her body tingled, sparks shooting up from his hand all throughout her body, making her almost lightheaded with the desire to just press even closer, to steal a kiss or two or a hundred and three of them.

Ladybug remembers a time where his touch made her slightly tingly before it became as overwhelmingly obvious as it was now. She remembers thinking of it a lot like it was Alya or Nino or her parents reaching out to her, so differently than Adrien's touch, and yet it had always felt just a hint like more and now, it felt way more than Adrien's touch.

When Adrien was close to her, it felt a lot like it used to with Cat Noir, a friend but sort of more, but she refused to make any comparisons between the two. With Cat Noir, it was more overwhelming than it had ever been.

Every kiss sent sparks dancing and flowing through her skin and made her heart race. Every time he held out a hand for her and she took it, it felt like waves of gentle reassurance, trust, and sparks going up her arms and across her fingers.

This feeling is incredible, and Ladybug can't help how much she loves it, how it's become somewhat of a drug for her, and how she always wants to be as close to him as possible. Every moment together, just as close as they got to each other, was incredible.

There was trust, faith, love, and a sort of passion that came from knowing that you'd willingly die for the other and that that feeling was mutual to every touch, to the very fundamentals of their relationship. Ladybug loved her partner, her boyfriend, her kitty, with all of her heart, and she couldn't help but want to stay close, close enough to hear his heartbeat and feel the sparks between them, close enough to fall even more in love with each other.


	48. Take The Lead

Cat Noir never minded the moments when Ladybug rushed in and when he dutifully followed her, staying close, listening to her commands. He didn't doubt her lead.

And yet there were days where he didn't mind taking the lead himself, guiding her, giving her the signals or commands needed. It helped during the little moments when they needed to switch up who took charge during Akuma fights, and it all revolved around trust, a deep trust between them.

Now though, leads didn't matter nearly as much though with his eyes closed, his arms around her, and lips pressed close, he let her guide him, pressing close. Ladybug felt like all warmth pressed this closely against him, moving closer, and staying huddled close.

Ladybug was in the lead now, the ball was in her court, and so her hand squeezed his fingers, holding him close. Every movement was led by her, a squeeze of the hand, bodies pressed close, every swing of a lip or tongue led by Ladybug.

With her, it was gentle and yet delicate and yet full of a warm rush that Ladybug was in charge of, that Ladybug commanded. He'd listen. Cat Noir followed her lead, not minding at all that he'd left the control and the lead position to his lady.

He'd follow her wherever she led him.

* * *

Ladybug was even happy sometimes to relinquish her lead to her partner. Butterflies or ladybugs swarmed her stomach as Cat Noir dipped down, hands holding her waist steady, and as he led with a gentlemanly insistence.

He led with confidence, with an almost kind of charm, and yet at the same time, he was gentle, never pushing farther than he knew that she could go, always willing to listen when she needed him to.

Kissing Cat Noir, letting him lead, was like sweet relief mixed with a kind of love that she'd never doubted wanting in her life. She thrived under his gentle love, his listening ear, his steady arms, and his big heart.

Ladybug never doubted her partner, never doubted that he could lead her, and sometimes she found it best when he took the lead.


	49. Undercover Date

It felt like an almost cheesy, cliche spy movie scene and yet even as Ladybug laughed as she wiggled into the clothes that her partner had brought along, clothes that she wasn't even going to begin to ask where he'd got them from, designer clothes from one of Gabriel's latest lines and completely out of her budget though they were so pretty and sleek.

Ladybug would feel like a princess tonight though a bit of a washed out one since she was still wearing spandex under it as she moved soft cloth against her, wiggling into the cute, brown top and slipping the skirt over spandex.

"Is it close enough to your size?" There was something almost vulnerable about Cat Noir right now, "I'm sorry, I should have asked."

"Oh, it's fine. I just, I feel kind of like a princess or a queen or something of that sort." She tried to nervously push back and pull at her hair, but like almost always, it was in pigtails still. Honestly, the clothes were about a size bigger than she was if even that much, and it was a good guess overall.

"I'm glad, because you deserve to feel like one." Cat Noir wiggled into his shirt and slipped on a nice pair of designer jeans, and she worried that he went broke getting these two outfits as he looked unsure of how to exactly hide his boots from view even as he threw a large fedora over his fake ears.

She smiled as he slipped on big sunglasses, and she could tell that he was who he was regardless, and though they really were sneaking out into the Parisian streets for a date without the publicity of their superhero lives. Ladybug may have loved their rooftop dates, but sometimes, she wanted to feel a little more normal. She wanted to be a teenager on a date for once, not just a superhero on a date.

She fiddled with her fedora, a light pink, purple blend, and smiled as she slipped it on. He'd brought two just in case she wanted to wear one too since she technically didn't have fake ears perched on top of her head.

Ladybug slipped the dark sunglasses on, and she tied up the laces of the thigh high boots that her partner had brought her that would hide the remaining spandex from view other than the spandex covering her fingers.

She pulled on the lace gloves that he'd thought to bring with him, and she wondered if there could be anything that he'd forgotten to bring along for her. "It's impressive that you managed to grab all of this stop."  
"It was lying around, besides when I got a chance to take M'lady out, I want to really take her out." Cat Noir told her, fingers wrapping around hers, and she marveled over how he'd somehow found silly, cute kitten themed gloves to wear. They stood out from his outfit, but it was so him that even the fashion designer in her slept and didn't complain a single peep at all.

"Thank you, My Gentleman." She murmured, not sure really if she was joking over the supposed nickname since he did call her his lady all the time.

"No problem, your highness." With that said, he ducked his head and gave her a kiss on her hand that still made her heart race faster than a hundred freight trains.

It felt a lot like going undercover in a spy movie, but Ladybug would argue that it was way better than one.

* * *

"So do you normally eat at places like this?" Despite how princess-y she felt in Gabriel brand clothes, she wasn't perfectly familiar with sitting inside a big, fancy restaurant, staring at a menu full of food that was far more expensive than she'd probably ever eaten in her life.

"It happens sometimes." Cat Noir admitted, trying to avoid the topic somewhat, "I usually eat at home though."

"Me too. What should I order? Are you sure that we have enough to eat here?" Ladybug felt touched but absolutely scared to death that she was about to make her boyfriend go broke whether she ordered a salad, an appetizer, a regular meal, or steak. Everything was up there in price, and so butterflies sat nervously in her belly waiting her command.

"I've got it. Don't worry about it. What would you like to eat?" Just the depths of the green in his eyes since he'd taken his sunglasses off to look at the menu made her heart ease and made the butterflies in her stomach once again take flight.

"I-I don't know. I haven't ate at anywhere even half as fancy." She admitted, and really hoped that that didn't sound too lame.

"Oh, if you're uncomfortable, M'lady, I can take you some place else." Cat Noir was quick to tell her.

"No, no. I find it incredible that you'd want to take me out somewhere like this. I want to eat here. Just order me whatever you're having." She smiled up at him as she tried to fight back her nerves as she flipped through the menu again and again; the prices were still making her stomach drop to her toes regardless.

What he did order them both was expensive, and Ladybug decided that being treated like a princess wasn't nearly the right way to put it. It was like she'd been promoted to a queen status, and he was her king set to spoil her.

It was humbling and yet reminded her of just how much he cared though she just hoped that she wasn't draining his wallet of whatever cash he had. Ladybug curled up against his side when after an evening of wandering street vendors, sharing dinner, and laughing at admittingly terrible inside jokes and puns, she relaxed by his side.

"You didn't have to go through so much trouble for me." She muttered in his ear though she was so tired and content that she wasn't sure if she'd leaned up towards the fake cat one or if she'd whispered it in his real, human ear.

"It wasn't any trouble really. I just want you to be happy." He muttered, and Ladybug looped her fingers around his.

"You make me happy, Kitty. I don't need anything else to make me happy when I'm with you." She wasn't sure if it was the contentness of her heart or how relaxed and tired she was that made her so blatantly honest with him.

"I'm glad." There was so much emotion in his voice that she looked up and spotted tears in his cat like green eyes and couldn't help but reach out and try to soothe his aching heart, filled to the brim with her love that she gave to him, and raw emotion inspired from the honesty that she'd gifted him with its big, bright bow.

"Me too, Kitty, me too." And so she reached out and gave him a kiss that ran so real from every drop of blood in her system to every lingering moment; something much more real and honest than their 'costumes,' than the fancy restaurant, something that ran much more real than either of them had ever known, something that only they could bring out in each other.


	50. Free Fall

Loving Cat Noir was both one of the easiest things that Ladybug could do and one of the hardest. It was easy to love her best friend, the one that encouraged and motivated her, one of the few people that she knew that she could always count on.

Cat Noir was her best friend, the love of her life, and so much more to her; in that way, it wasn't hard to love him and yet it wasn't easy to love him when she saw how close he came to losing his life, laying it down in a sacrifice for her sake or during the moments when she realized how lonely she felt without the suit since he wasn't at her side.

Loving Cat Noir was more than the familiar, reaching out and just knowing that he'll be there, through every Akuma fight, every patrol, and everything in between. There was an unknown or many unknowns in their future, and while their trust and faith in each other was absolute, they didn't know who the other was when they went home after a patrol, after a date, after an Akuma fight. Who was it that they kissed and cuddled with? Who did they stake their whole futures on or what they could of them?

It wasn't like Ladybug could go out and tell everyone that she had a boyfriend or what his name was or count on late night, goodnight kisses on her balcony or on her doorstep. She couldn't even be teased by her parents a little over just how smitten she was with him.

All that they had was a relationship coursing into the unknown, a free fall into their future, stumbling and trying to pull through together. It felt like a free fall too when she locked eyes onto his and felt her heart speeding away in her chest, felt that eager anticipation to take that plunge into the unknown. They had no idea what her last name would be in the future or at least she did if that hopefully got married, and he didn't know what her last name was right now.

It was a free fall, but neither of them wanted to look back or demanded a parachute. In a way, they'd try to be each other's parachute as they slowly figured things out together. They had each other's backs through thick and thin, and a free fall won't stop that love from festering, from blooming, from growing with everyday together.

Taking that plunge, feeling the free fall around them, was scary, but they had each other, and that was all that they ever needed to get through whatever life throws their way.


	51. Love

"I love you." It felt a lot like the first time, new, exciting, nervewracking, and even though it wasn't by a long shot, Ladybug felt happier with those three words than she ever could have imagined. They'd said, 'I love you,' before, back when it meant the kind of love that they'd had for so long up until then, a partnership that was as close knit as could be, and then it gained a new meaning with the first awkward phrase that they'd spoken once they started dating.

"I love you too, M'lady." She could just imagine how one day that nickname would be replaced with a different one, one for who she was behind the mask, or may be with her actual name. Just the thought filled her belly with butterflies that she wasn't even expecting yet.

"Did you ever expect that we'd get here?" Ladybug swung their intertwined hands together, back and forth, just to feel that reassuring weight.

"In a way, I'd hoped so." He admitted, "But, I never expected it to be even half as wonderful as it is."

Ladybug bit back a carefree, happy laugh, but she couldn't hold it still for long as it spilled forth from her.

"I thought we were close before." Ladybug admitted, stilling their hands, "I thought that I knew you a good bit then until I fell for you, and this happened." She smiled as she pressed closer, "I never knew what it felt like to have your hand in mine, to become addicted to the taste and feel of your lips, to be able to say, 'I love you,' and mean so much more. I love this. I love you." She pressed closer, close enough to press her lips against his cheek in a chaste and kind of slow kiss.

"I think we'll always get closer, M'lady." His face was pink despite the words, "It's just who we are."

Ladybug's smile took on a slightly playful edge, "I guess so." Words weren't really her strong suit, but she loved this, whatever it was in the nearly quiet moments by his side. It wasn't like they were an overly public couple or that they hid their relationship from the public eye, and so she wasn't really sure if most people would say that they were dating or if they needed a different word for it, a stronger word perhaps.

Cat Noir leaned closer to kiss her cheek, awfully close to her lips, and she loved the slightly playful way that he asked for a kiss from her. She pressed closer, standing on tiptoes and gave him that kiss that he'd probably been wanting for a little while. She loved him, every last hint of his personality, all his little quirks, his sometimes downright awful puns, and his affectionate nature. Ladybug loved him completely, and she wasn't sure if it were possible to love him even more than she did now.


	52. Accident

If everything led back to every accident along the way, Ladybug wasn't sure if she'd be here or not. She almost wanted to bet that she'd manage to find her way back into his arms even if she did give up her Miraculous then, even if Alya had never been in that accident trying to record for the LadyBlog, or didn't accidentally leave her bag behind.

There's so many moments, choices, and decisions that could have stopped her from ending up here or even helped her get here faster. Ladybug doesn't doubt that if this counted as an accident that it was a happy, little accident that it was something that made her heart race and made her fall even more in love.

If songs were only their title that Ladybug half felt like 'Accidentally In Love' applied here and that it was the exact opposite of an accident. Accident or fate or something altogether stronger might have been at play here, and Ladybug would take every song of it gladly, accident or no accident, fate or luck.

Ladybug smiled as she interwove their fingers together, relaxing by her partner's side and so, so happy. "Did you ever imagine us being so happy?" She smiled as she thought back to her younger self, so unaware of what was blooming, what was blossoming between them.

"No. I thought that we'd be happy, but I never knew that being in love like this was this happy." He murmured, half against the shell of her ear as he leaned down to kiss her cheek and let the moment drag on in almost silence, two collective hearts beating as one, two deep breaths from two different people that felt joined, together, somehow.

Ladybug thought she knew love, and in a way, she had growing up; she knew stubborn familial loves, taking faults and all, trying to be better, to be stronger for each other. She knew friendship love which was similar, something almost like siblinghood, something that she'd sadly never had. Friendship love was like trying to balance each other's flaws with a little bit of happiness, like life wouldn't ever fade into something less joyous if they fought for it.

Whether this was a lucky twist of fate or a happy accident, Ladybug knew love in a different way. Romantic love was like being completed by the other, trying to balance the other's flaws and weaknesses with your strength, like fighting for your love when you're not sure that you have the strength to anymore, it was like waking up wanting to cuddle close or steal a kiss and counting every second together a joy even when it sometimes was harder to do so, even when it hurt and hearts stung.

Ladybug understood love to be almost like a devotion; you devoted your life and heart to that person, longing to hopefully complete them, the way that they do for you.

Accident or fate or some twist of almost predetermined luck or whatever led them here, Ladybug loved him more than she'd known her heart capable of loving him. She kind of wanted to stop and thank God for just everything about her partner that completed her so even though she wasn't sure when the last time she actually prayed was.

Ladybug wasn't entirely sure if 'Accidentally In Love' fit that, but even if it did or didn't, she'd love him with all that she has. She knew from every life and death experience that a single accident could take him out of her life or keep him in it, so she'd cherish every last moment by his side and try to make sure that nothing broke him in the way that she was sure that he feared some nights going to bed like she did. Lives could seem so fragile as a superhero, but she wasn't sure if she could take it if she lost him as it would be like cutting off her own arm and trying to survive, to design, as if she still had it without bothering to find a prosthetic and without bothering to switch to using only one arm.

He was that important to her though she wasn't sure if she'd ever find the words to tell him just how happy that she was to finally find him and to love him so much, so happy to be by his side.


	53. Forgiveness

Ladybug's sure that forgiveness is a word that clogs her throat up, that's hard to speak, and she isn't sure if it's worse when she has to forgive herself or someone like Chloe. Everyone's in charge of their own actions and their own reactions.

"I'm sorry." She isn't sure if she's apologizing for raising her voice yesterday or if she's apologizing for all of the hurt that she's caused her partner in her lifetime, for all of the secrets that even if she couldn't tell him about, she should have found a way to make it up to him. She's sorry for everything, and today, it hurts harder than she'd ever known.

"What are you apologizing for?" There's something in his gentle, soft tone with a hint of curiosity but never harsh that makes her break down. Just, how did she meet this man that for all his flaws, he was still one of the sweetest people ever?

"I-I don't know." When his arms wrap around her, she tries to snuggle and bury herself deep into them. If only his arms provided the kind of escape that she's looking for.

"M'lady, Ladybug, Bugaboo, look at me." He murmured somewhere near her ear, and so she listened, too shaken up to not listen, as she turned her eyes to soft and gentle green eyes, just a step away from actually crying with her.

"What is it?" Even if she looks absolutely torn apart in her boyfriend's arms, she'll try to listen, because that's what you're supposed to do. It's what her parents have always told her after all. 'If you truly love someone, listen to them even if you might not agree with them.'

"I'm sorry too, and I forgive you." He pulled her closer, but not tight enough that she had to duck her head down. All that she could do was stare into bright green eyes that were going cloudy with unshed tears.

"What are you sorry for?" She isn't sure if her tone is at all like his was, but it's honest and raw when it spills from her lips, unbidden, and she can't help but wonder how the words sound to her partner. He wipes his arm over his eyes, and it takes a second for her to realize that he's crying, that her partner, the love of her life, is crying with her over forgiving each other's faults, something beyond just one ill spoken word, something behind even the mistakes and accidents of yesterday.

"Everything." Somehow that word is packed with so much meaning that it breaks Ladybug's heart, and she reaches out for him, eager to just soothe whatever this ache between them is.

"I forgive you." The words aren't nearly as hard to say now as what started this. "I love you." It just slips out, but she does; she loves him beyond anything that she knew. If love is forgiving, kind, and gentle then this is it. She loves him, forgives him, and truly sees him past his own scars, his own loneliness, his own insecurities, his jealousy. She loves him.

"I love you too." And whether they're broken or not in each other's arms, Ladybug doesn't mind as it brings them closer than they've perhaps ever been.


	54. Stay

'Stay,' it didn't need to be spoken, with just a glance she understood. Whether their timers started going off or if it got late, it didn't matter, what mattered was sitting down with him on some nameless rooftop and listening to sometimes half jarbled messes of words and phrases strung together.

It wasn't a plea for her civilian identity's name or anything, they both knew enough to wait now anyway, but it was a plea for a listening ear from his best friend that just so happened to be a little more than that as well.

"I just never realized how bad it had gotten, I guess." His words were starting to sound a little more natural as if he was pushing himself to stop crying, to stop feeling so lonely, and though she wasn't exactly sure what 'it' was, she reached out and laid a hand on his knee to let him know that she's there.

"It will be okay." She murmured and hoped that that wasn't a stupid thing to say; it was the comforting phrase that she'd often heard about, but that could be because it works wonders or is absolutely terrible. She isn't quite sure.

"How do you know?" Cat Noir shifted closer to her, so she threw her arm around his waist and held him closer; they'd weather this storm and be stronger by the end of it, Ladybug just knew it.

"Because I'm with you." She smiled, "I may not be much, but I'll try to help you out." It was like laying her heart bare to her boyfriend and letting him connect the pieces into a bigger puzzle.

"You'll help?" And something in his broken, tired eyes made her even more sure than ever that she could never give up on him.

"Always, Kitty. I'm with you." Ladybug's smile spoke volumes even for the ache in her heart from seeing her partner so broken down, and she pressed closer to lightly kiss his lips for nothing else than another sign that she was here, that she'd always be here.

Ladybug could be rash, but there were some lines that she'd never cross and besides, sometimes a kiss from her Kitty helped calm her down and relax her when the days were just impossible to deal with and handle. If he could be her support, she could very well be his too.


	55. Roses

He'd given her a rose a long time ago when he'd first managed to confess to her on that secret date that he'd prepared for her, and she'd kept it though he hadn't known it then. Seeing Ladybug standing before him with her hands squeezed tightly on something behind her, a surprise for him, no doubt, made his heart pick up double time, triple time for her.

"It's hard for me to say." She murmured, looking a little lost, "But, I have to say it. I love you so much as my partner, as my best friend, and as so much more. You've become something infinitely precious to me, and I can't ever lose you in my life. I might be a little late, but I thought that I'd give you something that reminds me of when you really started stealing my heart in leaps and bounds and be honest with you." Ladybug moved her hands from behind her back, and Cat Noir realized that she was holding a bouquet of roses.

"M'lady," He was speechless, and he could see that night so easily in his mind's eye, remembering being so, so honest with her, and remembering giving her a rose and telling her that he cherished her friendship. Cat Noir had given her a kiss on the cheek, and she'd been left stunned staring up at him for a moment.

"Honesty is something that I've always liked." Ladybug looked a little lost, tears in her eyes as she spoke, "And I'd fallen for someone before you that was so honest with me, forgiving, genuine, and real that stood under the rain with an umbrella that he ended up giving me. I fell in love with his laugh, that joy, and that honesty. I never saw it coming, and I never saw it coming when I fell for you either though it took longer. I-I can't believe that it took me so long to realize why it would hurt so much to lose you, why your laugh left my heart fluttering, and why your smile could put me at ease."

"M'lady," He repeated as he tried to find his voice that only seemed more lost every single second, "I-I love you too." Words failed to come to him beyond that, but he could see how she found honesty so attractive, because with every word out of her mouth, his heart melted more and more, and he fell harder for her than he knew possible.

"I hope that I'm not rushing things, but after being so close to you so long, I feel like I can't rush anything between us." She smiled, and that look on her face felt like the sun was coming out for the first time in ages. Ladybug stepped closer, and all Cat Noir could do was watch her walk closer, how graceful she looked under the moonlight and the few stars that you could kind of see up here, and he wondered if his heart had slowed down, sped up, or simply stopped beating as each step felt like forever and a half as she walked closer.

Finally, stopping just in front of him, close enough to feel every breath of hers, and to be able to reach out and touch her if he felt capable of moving that much, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. It was a strong reminder of that day in the past when he'd done the same for her, and she held the bouquet out for him to take with a bright smile and such hopeful, bright blue eyes.

Cat Noir was positive that his heart was melting and that he wasn't entirely sure how he was going to survive the next few moments without becoming a pile of lovesick goo. She was so incredible, and to make sure to tell him after all this time in the way that he'd confessed to her, made him feel so touched, so paid attention to, so loved, and so, so lucky to call her 'his' lady even though it hadn't been more than a term of endearment based off of her superhero identity's name.

"Y-You aren't rushing anything." Cat Noir was surprised that he had a voice past how warm and in love he felt, "I-I love you too as my partner, as my best friend, and as something so much more." He wasn't sure of everything in the world, but he was definitely sure that he loved her more than anything.

Ladybug's smile reminded him of how delicate and bright the moon looked, of how meadows fill with bright flowers and even brighter grass, of how just amazing she was, and how he didn't deserve someone like her in his life, but he'd gladly cherish every moment with her anyway. Everything would be wonderful by her side, and he couldn't wait for what the future will hold for them.


	56. Tangled

On the day that they'd met, he'd ended up entangled in her yoyo string, and even though that had only really happened that once, though she'd saved him from a few dangerous situations with that very string, he felt sort of like he was still entangled in it or may be just tangled up in all that she was.

Ladybug's brave, insecure, fearful sometimes of what she has to do, loving, businesslike, beautiful, and creative to name just a few lovely adjectives that he'd apply to her. She's that and so much more, and yet he isn't entirely sure whether those words are nearly enough to describe her. She's changed his world in so many ways by just being a part of it, and he can't help but love her all the more for it.

Cat Noir wouldn't be half the cat or man that he is today without having had her by his side, and if that means that he's more than 'whipped,' actually tangled up with her than he'll take that for what it is. He loves her, and he'd be a fool to not realize that about himself. He loves her more than he'd thought possible when they'd got tangled up together that day, more than he actually thought was possible that moment at the Eiffel Tower when he first fell for her.

If her yoyo string was a sign of just how vastly talented she was, how absolutely wrapped up he'd be with her one day, then he'd gladly accept that as the truth that reeled him in, time and time again. Cat Noir loved Ladybug, he loved his partner, and he'd gladly be tangled up in her yoyo string and by her side again, metaphorically or even literally.

He can't help but think about how incredible she is, how she puts up with his sense of humor though it doesn't always make her laugh, how he falls more and more in love with her with every passing day. Cat Noir loves his partner for all that she is, and so, he doesn't mind being as caught up, as tangled in, her yoyo string as he is, as tangled up in all that she is.

Cat Noir loves her so, so much, and even now, just being by her side, he could feel that invisible pull drawing him to her, and as he wraps an arm around her waist and as she lets herself lean into him for a moment, he can't help how absolutely giddy and smitten that still makes him feel.


	57. Reveal

Something in her heart broke just seeing that defeated look in his eyes and though they won, she could easily read the disappointment, the regret, the pain, and the heartache all over his face. Ladybug knew her partner better than she probably knew the back of her hand.

"Cat Noir, look at me." She murmured, "I don't know what he did to you, but I promise that I won't ever do that to you." Ladybug stepped closer, hand held out just for him, and she could see the apprehension that hadn't been there before take over his face as if finally the world came crashing down overtop his shoulders. Beneath the surface, she found herself so unbelievably angry at Hawkmoth, not for what he did to Paris, not for every last person manipulated into being his evil henchmen, but for whatever he'd done to her partner, the man that she'd lay her life down for.

Under the crushing revelations of today, she'd consider Gabriel Agreste to never be her inspiration, her role model, again, no matter how much she used to look up to his designs and how slowly over the years, seeing the way he'd treated his son, one of her dearest friends had starting leaving cracks and tears in her heart that she wasn't sure that she'd ever want to repair.

"Ladybug, he-he was all that I had left." Cat Noir's miserable sounding voice and drooping tail told her what she needed to know before she could get them away from here.

"We'll help put everything back in order later." Ladybug called out to the crowds of press, of policemen and women, crowds of even curious onlookers, and even to the girl that just so happened to just be the LadyBlogger for another moment. Nadja was even among the crowd, eager to be the first to get the whole story out of the superheroes, a story that Ladybug wasn't sure that she had the time or the energy to tell when she knew that her partner was suffering despite their victory.

It seemed like her words had a rippling and kind of upset glare to the crowd, as if they never expected her to leave without telling the whole story, but she couldn't spend much time to worry over that other than just mouthing one word to Alya that would mean something to the LadyBlogger, 'Later.'

She was gone with just a swing of her yoyo and a gentle hand on her partner's arm, and suddenly they were on a nameless rooftop, far enough away from the reporters and curious onlookers for a moment alone just for themselves. It felt almost heavy to be up here, just the two of them, despite the rush that they normally felt together in any stolen moment far away from cameras or Akuma or anything else that could pull them apart.

"Cat Noir, I'll always be right here." Ladybug reached out for her partner and stood her ground as slowly she worked up the nerve to say the two words that had separated them for so long, "Spots off." Left standing in her place was a girl that she hoped Cat Noir still remembered, now more a woman than just a girl, and kind of relieved that all of the secrets could pass them by, that they'd never need them after today.

"Marinette." He murmured, and something in the way that he said it, all broken apart, almost disbelief and yet not too sure of himself enough to actually believe that she was standing there before him broke her heart.

She reached out, and there was something different about touching him as Marinette even though there really shouldn't be. Marinette rarely had the option to get to know Cat Noir nearly as well as Ladybug did; Marinette hadn't ever even kissed him as herself, only as a superhero was she really allowed to be this close to him. It felt odd to break those old boundaries.

"I trust you." He told her, and when his green eyes met hers, she felt relief mixed in with the pain. They'd be okay as long as they were together, "Claws in." Standing before her was a sight that she never would have expected after those two words and yet once the tears began they wouldn't stop.

Her hand fell gently on skin instead of leather, and she held on for dear life as she tried to wrap her head around how close they'd actually been, the leaps and bounds that they'd ran around each other, every last mistake and almost moment. In a way, she'd loved him all around, and that hit her heart more than anything else ever could have. This was her partner, the man that she'd die for, the one that gave her the strength and ability to keep on going, the one that she loved with all of her heart. It made sense in the oddest kind of mix out of anything.

It felt even weirder to reach out and touch Adrien like this, to steady herself, and step close enough to be able to reach out and kiss his cheek, right where the mask would have hid it. Marinette wasn't entirely sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her until he reached down, gently placed his hands on her cheeks, and feather lightly helped guide her to his lips as he bent down and kissed her. There was no room for doubt when her Kitty kissed her, especially now, when she could feel his love through over pore, feel his love through every second, and every touch.

Cat Noir kissed her like his life depended on it and yet he never pushed her past what she was comfortable with. She was drowning in him as the realization hit her hard that this really was her partner as she clung to the back of his shirt, still half surprised at feeling soft fabric beneath her hands, and as she pressed as close as she could.

All that Marinette wanted to do was drown in everything Adrien, everything Cat Noir, and never have to question or look back on anything and wonder how they'd gotten here. She craved her partner in a way that made no sense to anyone else probably; she craved his heart and just being near him.

Right now, nothing else mattered, not Hawkmoth recently defeated, not the fact that they'd probably have to recharge their Kwamis to get down from this rooftop, and definitely not whatever they'll tell the press later on. All that mattered was the here and now, identities now not hidden from each other, the full reality sinking in, and every last kiss that they could possibly share.

Everything would be okay, because they'd both fight for that beyond anything else holding them back.


	58. Courage

Cat Noir was courageous, and Ladybug couldn't deny that at all. She could however deny that she had a part in making him that way as the only time that felt true was during Reverser when he had none without her support and encouragement.

He gave her courage. Every Akuma battle by his side, he encouraged her, gave her much needed support, and she thrived under that. Cat Noir is her partner, one that pushes and motivates her, one that challenges her and helps her grow; he's not nearly as afraid to take on an Akuma most of the time, and she still has her doubts and her days when she worries.

By his side though, she doesn't have to worry for long, because he'll motivate her and keep her going; he'll encourage her, and she loves him all the more for that. Cat Noir keeps Ladybug going, but she isn't nearly as aware of the fact that Ladybug keeps Cat Noir going.

* * *

Cat Noir doesn't doubt his lady's support as she's always helped him pick himself back up and dust off the broken bits and aspects of himself. Ladybug keeps him going, and he can trust her and rely on her through everything.

He's never had any reason to doubt her and even now he only manages to fall even more in love with her with every encouraging word, with every sign of bravery, of courage, as she overcomes her own doubts and fears. Ladybug has let him know that he keeps her going through gracious acts, through her words of gratitude, and while he wonders how he could be that lucky that his lady feels motivated by his presence, that his words do have an impact, he understands that it works both ways for them.

Without Ladybug, he wouldn't be the Cat Noir that everyone knows, that so many look up to, without Ladybug, he'd be a shell of the kitty superhero that he works hard to be. He loves being a superhero and yet it really is hard work and does actually take courage.

Every moment and every day with Ladybug only makes him more confident that he can trust her, more aware of just how she changes him for the better with every passing day, and he's so very thankful for her. She has all of his heart, and he'll let her keep it and help it blossom under her tender, loving care. Cat Noir loves Ladybug with all of his heart, and he trusts that she'll always be a sign to take a deep breath and be courageous and keep on going.


	59. Promise

"I know that I might be a little out of line, but I..." Ladybug took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, "I love you." She let it kind of still there.

"I love you, M'lady." Cat Noir's green eyes found her blue ones, "But what's the matter?"

Ladybug blinked as she dropped down to one knee as she tries to help herself calm down, nerves dancing along her veins as she brings her clasped hands in front of her, hands trembling as if everything had finally caught up to her, "You can do this properly later if you want, but I couldn't help but want to do this for you."

"Ladybug?" Cat Noir caught his breath, because surely, this wasn't what it looked like; they were still fairly young, and was she sure? They'd just had their identity reveals a few days before, and he couldn't imagine why she'd do so here instead of as Marinette if that was so.

"Cat Noir, Adrien Agreste," She smiled up at him and something about her seemed so free for a moment as if her nerves weren't nothing more than the nerves before an Akuma fight, "I love you with all of my heart, and I hope to never tire of telling you that. We've been together as Ladybug and Cat Noir for a while now, and though we know who the other is now, it didn't seem right to say this when we both weren't transformed."

"Ladybug?" He repeated as he reached out for her, not quite sure if he wanted to pull her to her feet as the longer that she knelt before him the more nervous he got as if her nerves were becoming his own now or whether he just wanted to touch her, remind himself that he wasn't at all still asleep.

"I love you." She repeated with that bright, loving smile of hers that still managed to melt his heart completely, "I know that with all that has happened and all that we are that this might come as a bit of a surprise." Her blue eyes looked soft at the thought, "I promise to always remain by your side. I don't ever want you to feel abandoned or unhappy or neglected ever again, and I know that I'm just one person and that I might make a lot of mistakes, but I'm willing to try to be the best for you that I can be."  
She trailed off and finally her partner's hand rested on her left wrist, and he couldn't help how breathless he'd gotten, how his heart raced, or how his eyes went so wide.

"Will you marry me and by my lifelong partner, Kitty?" Ladybug looked so breathless as if she could barely get the words out of her mouth, and suddenly Cat Noir wasn't sure when he reached out for her or when he'd started crying. He'd never expected this ever.

There was a time when he thought that he'd be the one to propose, and yet this was a welcome surprise anyway.

"Kitty?" Her voice is soft in his ear and spoken before he'd even realized that he had yet to find any words in a while.

"Y-Yes." Cat Noir stumbled over his words from where he clung to her, "I-I do."

She laughed, and when he felt tears on his cheeks from her, he knew that they were happy ones. "I was so nervous, but really," She smiled, "I'm so glad that I asked."

"Me too." He mumbled, and when she pulled away to look at him, she was still smiling as her laughter died down. Ladybug's hands now steady once again pulled apart, and she opened up the box in her hands.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to open it up." Cat Noir smiled at the gold band in the box, "I hope that this is okay."  
"Thank you." Cat Noir murmured as he held out his hand for her to slip the ring on to his ring finger.

At Ladybug's smile, Cat Noir was reminded of something that she'd managed to say just a little bit earlier, "I promise to always remain by your side too, M'lady." It meant the world that even though they were already wandering into the unknown that Ladybug wanted to spend her lifetime with him that she wanted to be more than just his crime fighting partner or that she wanted to be his lifelong partner, that she wanted to be his wife.

Ladybug's beaming smile as she finally leaned over and kissed him left his head dizzy and spinning so, so fast. Cat Noir couldn't be happier and though he'd probably propose to her later if only to have a civilian proposal, he couldn't help his absolute joy that she'd somehow managed to get those words out and bare her heart to him.


	60. Sunrise

Sunrises spoke of new beginnings and though really, Ladybug was exhausted as she hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, but she didn't mind too much as she cuddled up close to her partner, her fiancee, and smiled alongside him as the dawn brought a new day along with it.

"It's beautiful, Cat." She murmured as she snuggled closer, enjoying the way that the little bits of sunlight made her much warmer as she looked out across Paris, watching as the Eiffel Tower was lit up with the early morning rays and with every quickly spreading color.

"It is." His hand curled around her hand as he watched Paris's early morning sky shift from one color to the next.

Just being here by her side as most of those around Paris were slowly starting to wake up or would stay asleep for a few more hours or so, made Cat Noir so happy. It felt like their very own special moment, not caught up at all over whatever else could shift this moment into something less content.

This morning was a start to something new, and there was no Akuma to be sent out, no more trying to deal with Hawkmoth as he was already defeated. It was a new, clean start as far as everything went, and Ladybug and Cat Noir had their own new beginnings to see through.

Two hands were intertwined, two people eager to see just how everything shifted and changed, and to see all of the colors around them, every unique experience awaiting them. For now, as another day began, their pasts behind them and yet not forgotten in the least.

Ladybug and Cat Noir would only grow closer and every little moment come to mean even more. This sunrise may only seem to be the beginning of a new day and yet it felt like an absolutely new beginning for all of Paris too and for the two superheroes that their lives were already shifting to something a little newer, a little sweeter, and a little more unexpected.


End file.
